UBEC Moves To Tackle Rise In Number Of Out Of School Children, Develops Action Plan

By Ayodele Oni

In its drive to curtail the number of out of school children, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in partnership with Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Akure has concluded arrangement to develop an action plan to tackle out-of-school children crisis in the state.

Among the action plan is an intensive five–week training for School Administrators and Head teachers in the State to redefine the state priorities.

The Chairman of the SUBEB, Victor Olabimtan who disclosed this in Akure, explained that the Programme, which is an integral component of Better Education Service Delivery For All (BESDA) is for Education Management Information System (EMIS) Officers.

In a Press Release issued by the Board’s Director, Press and Public Relations, Bolu Ajijo said other participants include Education Secretaries, Zonal and Area Education Officers and about one thousand Teachers drawn from Schools across the Eighteen Local Government Areas of the State.

Olabimtan noted that the training being anchored by UBEC, Abuja under Better Education Service Delivery For All, (BESDA) Project is designed to combat the growing menace of Out of School Children in the country especially in the State.

The Chairman underscored the need for participants, who he described as lucky ones to take the training seriously because they are the bedrock for the success of the project in the State.

He said the programme is designed to train EMIS Officers, Education Secretaries, Zonal and Areas Education Officers especially over 900 Teachers drawn from Schools across the State in the use of digital platforms, a modern trend in Attendance Management Information System in our schools.

The Chairman pointed out that, apart from helping teachers to digitally mark class Register at the end of the training, it will be possible from the Head Office of the Board in Akure to track and know the actual number of teachers and learners in each classroom and school at all time.

The SUBEB Chairman, who commended the Federal Government for initiating the programme opined that, Ondo SUBEB has taken delivery of high – Tech digital platform of over 1,000 Tablets to be used in the training of the participants.

Elaborating on the Project, the Director, Planning Research and Statistics Dr. Ayodele Akanle said the training has been divided into three modules.

The first tranche which begins on Monday 27th November and ends on Friday 1st December is for EMIS Officers drawn from the Ministry of Education, Ondo SUBEB and the 18 Local Government Areas of the State.

He  added that the second tranche coming up from Monday 4th to Friday 8th December, 2023, will accommodate the training of Education Secretaries, Zonal and Areas Education Officers while cluster training to be undertaken by the EMIS Officers that will cascade the training to the grassroots for three consecutive weeks would commence Monday 11th December, 2023.