By Muhammad M. Isa
In his determination to give the education sector in the state a face lift, the Nasarawa State Governor Engineer Abdulahi Sule, has constituted a 19-man committee of Experts that will chart the course of boosting the standard of the state education sector.
The committee is charged with the responsibilities of appraising the implementation of different Education programmes, unravel the level of infrastructure decay in post primary institutions and to set up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for preparing candidates of Nasarawa State origin for admission into Tertiary institutions through Direct Entry Programme of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The group of experts, Chaired by the Honourable Commssoner of Education, Science and Technology, Hajiya Fatu Sabo, will also look at roles of Stakeholders in the development of education in the State, examining and assessing the existing Human Capital in educations as well as appraising the role and responsibilities of the State Education Resource Centre (NERC) on the development of education in the state.
The Committee members include; Haj. FatuJimaita Sabo, The Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Education as Chairman, Dr. Simon Yohanna, Kaduna State College of Education as Member, Bako Emmanuel Kukui, Department of General Studies, Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya as Member, A. A. Galadima, National Agency for Science &Engineering Infrastructure, as Member and Angbalaga A. Moses, State Parents-Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) as Member.
Others include; Cecilia O. Ari, Lecturer, Early Childhood Care Department, College of Education, Akwanga, Member, Isah Suleiman, Representative of Teachers Registration Council Nigeria (TRCN), Member, Joseph A. Envuladu, Retired Educationist, Member, Dr. Peter M. Aboki, Deputy Provost, College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Lafia, Member and Ogiri O. Christopher, ANCOPSS President as Member.
Running down the list, Prof. Ibrahim M. Haruna, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK) serves as Member, Hon. Boniface Iornumbe, Chairman, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Nasarawa State Chapter, as Member, Garba Muhammad Na-Lado, Representative of the National Board for Technical Education as Member and Dania, Mary-Ben M. (Mrs), Representative of the Federal Ministry of Education, also serves as Member.
While Mrs. Sarah Mbenchan Jakonda, Isa Mustapha Agwai I Polytechnic, Lafia, Member, Mr. Adeka Ogwuji James, Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Member, Dr. Suleiman Dambai Mohammed, Senior Lecturer, Department of Science Education, Federal University of Lafia (FULAFIA), Member, Representative of the UNICEF Field Office, Kaduna, Member as Usman I. Abu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, serves as Secretary.
Among the Committee’s term of reference, the Committee is saddled with the responsibilities of appraising the implementation of the Free Education, School Feeding, Adult Education, Special Education, as well as Family Life Health Education (FLHE) in terms of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impacts and sustainability in line with the objective of Nasarawa Economic Development Strategy (NEDS) and examine the level of infrastructure decay in post primary institutions, particularly in Science designated Schools, Vocational and Relevant Technology Centres, Technical Schools and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centres in the State, and recommend measures for their transformation and upgrading in line with the current needs and realities of the State.
They are also to consider, as a deliberate policy the setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for preparation of candidates of Nasarawa State origin for admission into Tertiary institutions through Direct Entry Programme of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) with emphasis on specialized professional discipline in the field of Engineering, Medicine and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and make appropriate recommendations as well as to examine the contributions of Parent Teachers’ Association (PTAs), Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) and other Stakeholders in the development of education in the State and suggest areas of effective partnership and synergy.
Other assignment of the committee is to examine and assess the existing Human Capital in education availability with a view to determining gaps in terms of mix and needs in the Primary and Secondary tiers of education and make appropriate recommendations in line with the current realities of the State and to obtain and study related Research and Committees’ Findings, as well as Baseline Surveys conducted on Primary and Secondary Education development with a view to addressing issues raised and design action plan for its implementation.
It will also examine and study the trend in enrolment rate of both Basic and Post Basic schools with a view to determining gaps and addressing the Out of School syndrome according to mix, with particular emphasis on Girl-Child education and recommend appropriate measures towards addressing any irregularity and appraise the role and responsibilities of the State Education Resource Centre (NERC) with a view to strengthening and enhancing the standard of education through curriculum development, research activities, educational measurement and evaluation as well as other related matters for sustainable development of the sector.
To appraise the existing number of Post Primary Schools in the State with a view to stemming and streamlining the rate of proliferation and ensuring standard based on enrolment rate, needs, proximity as well as availability of resources and critically examine the income generation mechanism of State Tertiary Institutions with a view to identifying gaps, as well as strengthening the Revenue Generation capacity.
To set the ball rolling, the committee was further broken into sub committees to give direction and more concentration to their assignment.
Among the sub committees is the sub-committee on infrastructure and human development chaired by Prof. Ibrahim Muhammad Haruna, which is charged with the responsibilities of examining the level of infrastructure decay in post primary institutions, particularly in Science designated Schools, Vocational and Relevant Technology Centres, Technical Schools and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centres in the State, and recommend measures for their transformation and upgrading in line with the current needs and realities of the State among others.
The sub-committee on curriculum and career development, chaired by Dr. Simon Yohanna will work towards studying related Research and Committees’ Findings, as well as Baseline Surveys conducted on Primary and Secondary Education development with a view to addressing issues raised and design action plan for its implementation among other responsibilities.
While the sub-committee on stakeholders’ contributions and other interventions is chaired by Joseph Envuladu and will examine the contributions of Parent Teachers’ Association (PTAs), Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) and other Stakeholders in the development of education in the State and suggest areas of effective partnership and synergy and assess the existing Human Capital in education availability with a view to determining gaps in terms of mix and needs in the Primary and Secondary tiers of education and make appropriate recommendations in line with the current realities of the State among others.