UBEC AND SUBEBS HARP ON THE NEED FOR AN EFFECTIVE TEXTBOOK POLICY FOR NIGERIA
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) have harped on the need for education stakeholders to support efforts in developing, implementing and sustaining a viable book policy for Nigeria’s education sector.
This was the focus of deliberations at the 19th Quarterly Meeting of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Management with the Executive Chairmen of States and the FCT Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) held at the Government House, Asaba, Delta State, from Monday, 10th to Wednesday 13th July, 2017.
The 19th Quarterly meeting provided opportunity for the basic education sub-sector managers to share their experiences particularly on the theme “Textbooks Policy: An Effective Tool for Enhancing Delivery of Qualitative Basic Education in Nigeria”.
The 2-day meeting which was declared open by Executive Governor of Delta State, His Excellency Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, (represented by the Honourable Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education Barr. Chiedu Ebie) had in attendance the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Gozie Anwukah; UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr Hamid Bobboyi; Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) Executive Secretary, Prof. Ismail Junaidu; UBEC Deputy Executive Secretaries (Technical and Services), Dr. Sharon ‘Rowo Oriero-Oviemuno and Dr. Yakubu N. Gambo, respectively; UBEC Management and other Executive Chairmen from the 36 States and FCT UBEB among others.
Strategic presentations were made on the theme of the meeting and discussions centered on the challenges associated with the provision, distribution and utilization of instructional materials, the need for certification of recommended textbooks by NERDC towards improving and sustaining the required quality and standard in basic education.
The meeting recommended among other things that UBEC, NERDC, SUBEBs and other key stakeholders should review and guidelines for assuring quality in instructional materials deployed for the UBE programme and also recommended that other states should emulate the initiative of Benue State in translating textbooks in core subjects into indigenous languages in liaison with publishers and relevant agencies.
Participants at the 19th Quarterly meeting also took time off to pay a courtesy call on the Executive Governor of Delta State, the Asagba of Asaba and also visit selected UBE projects in Delta State.
