By Augustine Okezie
Abuja
The management of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and chairmen of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) have jointly condemned in strong term, the abduction of school children and all other forms of insurgency activities in the country.
A statement by the Public Relations Officer of UBEC, Mr David Apeh, in Abuja, said the delegates through a communiqué issued at the end of the 12th quarterly meeting of UBEC management with executive chairmen of State Universal Basic Boards (SUBEBs) in Owerri frowned upon the growing rate of insurgency and urged Nigerians to support the federal government in the fight against all forms of terrorism.
The delegates also sought support for the various steps so far taken by government to redress the out-of-school children syndrome, “which is key to the community based early- childhood centre initiative and ensuring access.”
They also resolved to set aside some funds from the teachers’ professional development fund, on annual basis, for the training of quality assurance officers, on-going and subsequent special training in SUBEB, LGEAS and schools.
The delegates said five out of the 13 Junior Girls Model Secondary Schools under construction in states with challenges in girl-child education had been completed and handed over to the beneficiary state governments
“About 125 almajiri model schools were being constructed by the federal governments under the National Almajiri Education Programme, out of which 103 have been completed and handed over to the SUBEBs while 22 were at various stages of completion.”
The federal government and the UBE Commission had so far disbursed 50 per cent of the total cost required for the provision of school uniforms for children in the almajiri schools in the beneficiary states.