By Philip Yatai
Kaduna – The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) on Tuesday said that it had developed new quality assurance strategies and procedures to improve the quality of learning outcomes in basic schools across the country.
The Executive Secretary of the commission, Dr Hamid Bobboyi, disclosed this in Kaduna at the opening of five-day training for Core Masters Trainers on the use of the new strategy, procedures and software.
Bobboyi, who was represented by the Director, Quality Assurance, Malam Mansir Idris, said that the new strategies and procedures was information and communication technology-based in line with global best practices.
He disclosed that 50 officers are participating in the training from the UBEC headquarters, zonal and state offices.
The UBEC scribe revealed that the commission had procured Ipads for the quality assurance officers, adding that the National Space Research and Development Agency was currently uploading the devices with the needed software.
“This training is meant to train the master trainers, as vanguards of the new approach to quality assurance practices in basic education in the country.
“Furthermore, the training will adequately equip the master trainers with the required knowledge and skills needed to train other officers on the new strategies at state and local government levels across the country.
“It is expected that through this intervention, quality learning outcomes in schools will be achieved,” he said.
Earlier, Idris said that the training was in response to the need to strengthen the capacity of quality assurance officers, especially at zonal and state level.
The director said that after the training, the participants would cascade the training to State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEB) and Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) in the country.
“This has become necessary because 80 per cent of quality assurance officers at SUBEB and LGEA levels cannot evaluate schools effectively.
“Also, quite a number of the officers find it difficult to write good quality report at the end of school visits. This is a challenge that needs to be addressed.
“The aim of the training, therefore, is to ensure officers are trained on the new trend in quality assurance to equip them with needed skills to carry out efficient and effective quality assurance activities,” Idris said.
On his part, Malam Abdullahi Sani, Executive Chairman, Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board, commended UBEC for supporting the states to ensure quality learning outcomes in basic schools through effective quality assurance activities.
Sani, who was represented by the board’s Permanent Member, Human Resource Management, Dr Christy Alademerin, reiterated the state’s commitment to improving the quality of teaching and learning in public schools.
