Nigeria: FG Advised to Transfer Unity Schools to States

The 104 Federal Unity Colleges (FUCs) nationwide, it would appear, are in another battle for their lives, going by the recommendations in a report before President Goodluck Jonathan.

When Jonathan inaugurated the Presidential Task Team on Education January this year, its task was to propose strategic measures to revamp education and address specific burning issues as ccontained in an eight-point term of reference given to the team.

In a 96-page report obtained exclusively by the THISDAY, the 42-man team, headed by Professor of Education Pai Obanya, made far-reaching recommendations in the report that was submitted to Jonathan last May.

On the 104 federal government colleges, the team presented three options for consideration. The first is for the federal government to disengage from providing secondary education and leave the responsibility for basic and secondary education to states and local governments.

In furtherance of this option, the committee recommended the transfer of the 104 unity schools to the 36 state governments and the Federal Capital Territory.

It also advised that only two schools (one each for mixed sexes and girls only) in each of the six geopolitical zones and FCT, making a total of 14, should be retained by the federal government as model schools and run as such.

The committee further recommended the amendment to the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act, 2004, to expand the purview of the Act to include senior secondary school education from SS1 to SS3.

The UBEC Act currently covers the first nine years of a child's education from primaries 1 to 6 and junior secondary school from JSS1 to JSS3.

The committee also advised against the establishment of more parastatals under the Federal Ministry of Education, as the 22 it currently has, are unwieldy. It said the laws establishing the parastatals would have to be consolidated and amended respectively, if the recommendation is accepted.

It also observed that there is a multiplicity of laws in the education sector that are confusing and in conflict with one another and often times leading to multiple taxation in the sector.

In its recommendation on the 104 federal government colleges nationwide, the committee felt the federal government should concentrate on coordinating policy and providing the catalytic (or perhaps even regular) financial assistance (matching grant) to the other tiers of government through an expanded UBEC.

Options for Choosing a Secondary School Video | Excel in Key Subjects

 

When thinking about a secondary school for your child, there are a number of options and points worth considering. We sat down with the Principal of Excel in Key Subjects, Mr. Idris Musty,  to explore some of these.

For teachers at the school, look at: Qualifications Experience Staff turnover, particularly the senior management of the school Try to find out how long the head teacher has been there and how long the previous head teacher was in post. This will tell you a lot about the school’s stability Also, have a look at some of the league tables on the BBC ,  Guardian and The Telegraph websites Does the school encourage the EBacc for GCSE students? Look at all aspects of the school, including extra-curricular activities Teaching and subjects offered Past exam success Music Sports Art and drama You can find useful sources of information online Visiting the  school on an open day is also important and can be insightful Smaller independent schools tend to be the most focused in terms of getting the best out of their pupils The Times and Sunday Times  publish an annual review of the best private and state schools Similar guides to choosing a secondary school can be found in the weekend press Don’t focus solely on exam results! Extra curricular activities can help your child to thrive as a balanced and rounded individual Just because a school is independent, it doesn’t mean that the school will guarantee successful examination results If you are considering an independent secondary school, there are usually grants, bursaries and scholarships available Long term tax efficient investments can also help meet the costs of private education

All the best!

If you have further questions or queries about your child’s education, please do not hesitate to give us a call on 0207 040 5648 . We would be delighted to help you. We look forward to hearing from you!

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