FCT Education Stakeholders Demand Improved Provision Of Instructional Materials Stakeholders in the education sector have urged the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) to provide improved and sustainable instructional materials to primary and junior secondary schools in Abuja. Some of the stakeholders, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, said that dearth of books in schools contributed to the declining performance of students in examinations. NAN recalls that the Federal Government recently approved the sum of N8.7 billion for the printing and distribution of textbooks for primary and junior secondary schools across the country. On its part, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, said that it distributed more than 1.3 million pupils textbooks and instructional materials to basic education schools in 2013. A parent, Mrs Franca Odo, said that in spite of several promises that public primary and junior secondary schools were free, parents still bought books for their children. She said the government needed to be sincere in the implementation of free and compulsory basic education. According to her, it is unfair to encourage parents to send their children to schools in the guise of providing free education only to exploit them. “How can you improve the standard of education when the instructional materials are not there? How can a child who does not have textbooks cultivate the culture of reading? “It is very sad that even when the inscription `not for sale’ is on the book, students are still asked to pay for it. “All these story about supplying free books to public schools are all lies; for three years, my children have not received free books; I buy their books,’’ she said. Another parent, Mr John Ojogwu, said that those that introduced the policy of free basic education meant well, but it has been sabotaged. Ojogwu called on the relevant authorities to investigate why the supply of the instructional materials already budgeted for had not been forthcoming. A policy analyst, who pleaded anonymity, alleged that the lull in supply was caused by FCT UBEB as it had not paid for the books it ordered since 2012 despite having budgetary provisions for them. He said that publishers were made to conduct a workshop for principals and teachers for both teachers in junior and secondary schools in the FCT in 2012. “They were asked to conduct a workshop which they did at their own expense; after this, there was intent by FCT UBEB to procure those books for students to use for bi-weekly continuous assessment. “But all these plans and evaluation of the students which is essentially required under the current system of education were not implemented till date. “UBEB gave them the price and the quantity they needed; they got the books ready since 2012 and the books are still there; they are still in their stock. “Meanwhile, the publishers took loans from banks and individuals to make the procurements and their money is tied down,’’ he said. He said that the project was captured in the 2013 and 2014 budgets, and UBEB got N300 million but no procurement had been made. Reacting, the Head of Public Relations Unit, UBEB, Mr Mohammed Lawal, dismissed the claims, saying that schools were supplied as and when due. According to him, At the Junior Secondary School, Area 10, Garki, the Principal, Mrs Mohammed Lawal, declined to comment on the issue of whether or not her school had been getting the supplies. She said that the correspondent must get a letter from UBEB, before she could answer questions concerning the supply and distribution of free instructional materials to her school. (NAN)
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 14:01:05 +0000
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