“THE STATE OF BASIC EDUCATION IN NIGERIA: THE WAY FORWARD”
BEING A PAPER PRESENTED BY OBONG I. J. OBONG, SECRETARY GENERAL, NIGERIA UNION OF TEACHERS (NUT) TO THE 47TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (STAN) HELD AT CALABAR FROM 13TH – 19TH AUGUST, 2006

In this paper, an attempt is made to discuss operational framework of basic education in Nigeria in the light of one of the reform programmes of the Federal Government with a view to highlighting its impact on the future of Nigerians and with particular reference to its meeting the EFA and MDG’s. This discourse may not be elaborate as time, space and research are major constraints militating against its comprehensiveness.

However, the discourse will take the following pattern:
1) Definition of Basic Education,
2) Features of the Reform programme as it affects Basic Education,
3) Legal justification and fundamental issues of the law
4) Universal Basic Education Mid-Term (2006 – 2008) targets
5) Funding Arrangements
6) Monitoring and Evaluation
7) Gains and Challenges
8) The way forward
9) Conclusion.

1) What is Basic Education?
The National Policy on Education (NPE 2004) section 3 defines Basic Education as “Basic education shall be of 9 – year duration comprising 6 years of primary education and 3 years of junior secondary education. It shall be free and compulsory. It shall also include adult and non-formal education programmes at primary and junior secondary education levels for adults and out of school youths”.

The Compulsory, Free, Universal Basic Education Act 2004 defines Basic Education’ thus:
“Basic Education means Early childhood care and Education and nine years of formal schooling”.

The same Act also defines “Universal Basic Education” thus:
“Universal Basic Education means early childhood care and education, the nine years of formal schooling,
adult literacy and non-formal education, skills acquisition programmes and the education of special groups such as nomads and migrants, girl-child and women, almajiri, street children and disabled groups”.

A close look at the above shows that, in the context of the law, ‘Basic Education’ bears a restrictive definition while Universal Basic Education is broadly defined, but the critical features of education as defined here include ‘compulsory’ ‘free’ and ‘universal’ education for every child of primary and junior secondary school age.

2) Features of the Reform Programme as it Affects Basic Education
Consistent with the National Policy on Education and the relevant laws, the Universal Basic Education reform programme of the Federal Government of Nigeria is aimed at removing distortions and inconsistencies in basic education delivery and reinforce the implementation of the National Policy on Education as well as to provide greater access to, and ensure quality of, basic education throughout Nigeria. In summary, it is intended to:

*   ensure an un-interrupted access to 9 – year formal education by providing free, compulsory UBE for every child of school going age;
*   Reduce school drop-out and improve relevance, quality and efficiency;
*   Acquire literacy, numeracy, life skills and values for lifelong education and useful living;
*   Provide mid-day meals to enhance children access, retention and completion of the school cycle;
*   Emphasize on curriculum diversification and relevance to effectively and adequately cover individual and community needs and aspirations;
*   Disarticulate Junior Secondary Schools from Senior Secondary Schools;
*   Realign/integrate Junior Secondary Education with primary education;
*   Individualize teaching methods;
*   Introduce rudiments of computer literacy;
*   Appropriate continuous teacher professional development and
*   Encourage community ownership of schools including participation in decision-making process in schools.

3) Legal Justification and Fundamental Issues of the Law:
Under Section 18(1) and (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Government is enjoined to provide Free and Compulsory Basic Education amongst other education objectives. This section provides as follows:
1) “Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels”;
3) “Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy; and to this end, Government shall as at when practicable provide:-

(a) free, compulsory and universal primary education;
(b) free secondary education;
(c) free university education; and
(d) free adult – literacy programme”.

In keeping with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria aforementioned, Mr. President assented to the UBE Bill on the 26th May, 2004 titled: “An ACT to Provide for Compulsory Free, Universal Basic Education and other related matters”.

* The Act mandates every Government to provide free, compulsory and universal basic education for every child of primary and junior secondary school age. Parents are obliged to ensure their children enroll and complete the basic education cycle. Penalties are prescribed for non compliance by parents.
* Services in public primary and junior secondary schools shall be free of charge. Penalties are prescribed for persons who charge or receive fees in respect of primary and junior secondary education in public schools.
* While recognizing the statutory, responsibility of States and Local governments in the provision of primary and secondary education, the ACT provides for Federal Government’s intervention in basic education as assistance to States and Local Governments in Nigeria for the purpose of uniform and qualitative basic education throughout Nigeria.
* The Act establishes the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) its functions, membership, and terms of appointment of members.
* The Act provides three sources of funding for the implementation of the UBE, viz:
(a) Federal Government Grant of not less 2% of its Consolidated Revenue Fund;
(b) Funds or contributions in the form of Federal Guaranteed Credits;
(c) Local and international donor grants.
For any State to benefit from the Federal Government block grant such a State shall contribute not less than 50% of the total cost of projects as its commitment in the execution of the project. (The responsibilities for the disbursement of the funds lies with the Universal Basic Education Commission).
* The Act also provides for the establishment of State Universal Education Board (SUBEB) and Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) for States and Local Governments respectively.

The UBE is a holistic approach by the Government to achieve Education for All (EFA) by year 2015. The enactment of UBEC Act in 2004 and its domestication by the States and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) further emphasizes Government Commitment to ensure that every Nigerian child has access to quality basic education. The legal implication of the UBE Act is provision of universal, free, and compulsory 6 years of primary education and the first 3 years of secondary education.

Furthermore, the Act provides sanctions for parents who fail to send their children and wards to school. The Act is also a call-to-action on the issue of poverty as a hindrance to schooling. This has led to the abolition of user – fees and provision of free textbooks in the core subjects.

With the take off of the UBE programme in September, 2006, steps must be taken to ensure that it is free from all impediments to access, quality and equity. The approval given by the National Council on Education (NCE) for the abolition of Federal and State Common Entrance Examinations for placement in Junior Secondary Schools and the issuance of a standardized Universal Basic Education Certificate at the end of the 9 – year Basic Education UBE programme is therefore aimed at ensuring equity.

In the pursuance of its commitment to the achievement of Education For All (EFA) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Federal Government initiated the Home Grown School Feeding and Health Programme in 2005. This programme is targeted at providing equal opportunity and access to free education to all Nigerian children by reducing hunger and improving their health and nutritional status. This initiative has been launched at the Federal level and is being implemented on a pilot scale in 12 States and the FCT. It is my opinion that for the objectives of the UBE to be achieved, this initiative should take off simultaneously in all the States of the federation and not selectively done as have been hitterto the case.

4) UBE Midterm Targets: 2006 – 2008
As envisaged by the Universal Basic Education Commission, the UBE is set to achieve within September 2006 to 2008, the following:

* Access:
* 100% to graduate from Basic Education (BE) in situations, possessing literacy, numeracy and basic life skills so as to live meaningfully in the society and contribute to national development.

* Quality:
* 80% of B.E Teachers to have the Nigerian Certificate in Education (NCE).
* 50% of B.E. Schools have conducive teaching and learning environment.
* 60% of Head and Assistant Head-Teachers undergo training in School Management.
* Establish an efficient institutional framework for monitoring learning and teaching process at all levels.

* Periodic Review and Effective Implementation of Curriculum:
* Complete Revision of B.E. Curriculum to conform with the reform agenda.
* Produce educational materials
* Establish libraries and information resource centres
* Involve local craft people in the delivery of vocational education in schools.

* Promote Information Technology:
* 10% of BE graduates are computer literate
* 50% of school managers are computer literate
* 50% of BE teachers are trained in computer skills.

* Improve Gender Equity:
* Eliminate gender disparity in BE by 2008.

* Reduce Spread of HIV and Mitigate the Impact of AIDS:
* Achieve 100% awareness by 2008.

* Mobilize and Develop Partnership with International Partners, Private Sector and Local Community to Support and Fund Education:
* Improve collaboration
* Achieve 80% community involvement in management of schools.
* Achieve 60% private sector involvement in managing and funding Basic Education.

5) Funding Arrangements
As had earlier been stated, the UBE Block grant of not less 2% of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) is shared according to the approved Federal Executive Council sharing formula of December 2005 as follows:

* Matching Grants to States on 50% - 50% basis	- 70%
* Educational Imbalance	- 14%
* Grants to States adjudged as performing well	- 5%
* Grant to States to support their efforts for the    education of physically and mentally challenged children	- 2%
* Grant to States for School Feeding Programme	- 5%
* UBE Implementation Fund	- 4%
Total	100%

However, the following conditions for assessing the matching Grant (70% of 2% Consolidated Revenue Fund) apply:

* Enactment of the State Universal Basic Education Law in compliance with Section 12(1) of the UBE Act, 2004.
* Establishment of State Universal Basic Education Board in compliance with Section 12(1) of the UBE Act, 2004.
* Opening of separate Bank Account with the Central Bank titled “UBE Matching Grant Account” and forwarding the particulars to UBEC.
* Evidence of lodgment of States’ counterpart contribution in compliance with Section 11(2) of the UBE Act, 2004.
* Development and submission of State Action Plan to UBEC for approval, in compliance with a requirement imposed by the Federal Executive Council, June 2005.
* Submission of Projects Technical Report and Financial Reports indicating that the earlier disbursement has been judiciously utilized.

There are also regulations for the fund utilization criteria for UBE intervention fund. These are also in agreement with the Federal Executive Council approved criteria for fund utilization of the UBE intervention fund to States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as follows:

(a) Pre-Primary Education                                - 5%
(b) Primary Education                                      - 60%
(c) Junior Secondary School Level                     - 35%

Other expenditure by activities in each of the components of the UBE programme are:

(a) Infrastructural Development                        - 70%

This includes the following:

* Classroom construction
* Classroom furniture
* Classroom renovation/rehabilitation
* Laboratory/workshop equipment
* Introductory Technology equipment
* Borehole construction
* Construction of toilets, etc.

(b) Textbooks and Working Materials               - 15%

These include the following:

* Development/procurement of textbooks for pre-primary, four basic core subjects
for primary and five basic core subjects for junior secondary schools.
* Library Books
* Development/procurement of teachers’ guide for pre-primary, four core subjects
for primary schools and five core subjects for junior secondary schools.
* Teaching aids (excluding consumables), etc.

(c) Teacher Professional Development                 - 15%

This includes:
Short-term training and re-training of teachers at the three levels: pre-primary, primary and junior secondary schools, with more emphasis on primary, JSS and pre-primary, in that order to be conducted by either the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Colleges of Education (COEs) or Institute of Education and NIEPA to conduct those for managers of UBE institutions.

Before the funds are disbursed, there are stipulations that both UBEC and SUBEB must enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to the effect of spelling out the details of the projects/programmes that the funds shall be applied to.

The MOU also states the penalties to defaulting States which shall include suspension or outright stoppage of the funds. However, and not withstanding these provisions, a due process committee shall also be established and charged with the responsibility of disbursement. To further strengthen the checks and balances, a broad based committee of six charged with the responsibility of monitoring and reporting the use of funds to the Federal Government must also be put in place.



6) Monitoring and Evaluation
In order to ensure a successful implementation of the basic education programme, a monitoring and evaluation department has been established at UBEC charged with the responsibility of keeping the UBE programme on course through the following activities:

• Designs and implements monitoring activities for the UBE
• Monitors the implementation of the UBE programme in SUBEBS, LGEAS, and Schools.
• Sets standard and indices for evaluating projects.
• Appraises and regularly evaluates the UBE programme in primary and junior secondary schools to ensure consistency with government policies.
• Prepares regular reports on existing projects.
• Liases with the Special Project Units (SPU) in the evaluation of Development Partner’s input into the UBE programme.
• Oversees the operation of the Zonal Affairs of UBEC.

7) Gains and Challenges
According to a recent survey conducted by the UBEC, the following gains and challenges have been identified:

GAINS OF UBE

A. GROWTH

1) EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION
There were:
* 13,648 ECCDE centres across the country
* ECCDE centres had 741, 886 enrolment with 53.93% male and
46.07% females enrolled
* ECCDE had 53.04% of its care-givers as Males and 46.96% as
Females.

2) PRIMARY SCHOOLS
There were:
* 55,497 public primary schools
* 24,768,497 pupils
* 55.56% boys and 44.44% girls.

3) JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS
There were:
* 6,330 junior secondary schools
* 2,523,029 students
* 56.27% male and 43.73% female.

B. DEVELOPMENT

a) 20,005 new classrooms constructed by SUBEBs in 34 States and the FCT from 2000 – 2005.
b) 40,926 classrooms were renovated by SUBEBs in 32 States and the FCT from 2000 – 2005.
c) 748,595 units of furniture were provided by SUBEBs to schools in 28 States and the FCT.
d) Federal agencies, namely UBEC and ETF funded the construction and renovation of 17,192 and 12,811 classrooms respectively and provided 228,175 additional units of pupils’ furniture between 2000 – 2005.
e) UBEC and SUBEBs initiated various teacher professional development programmes in conjunction with Nigeria’s National Teachers Institute.
f) Twenty-six SUBEBs have special welfare packages as incentive for teachers in their respective States.
g) All in all, the Federal Government alone spent N48,324,126,627.06 between 2000 and 2005 in implementing UBE.
h) Within the span of five months from the release of Federal Government Intervention funds (July, 2005), the following achievements have been recorded:

(i) 32 States and the FCT have passed their UBE law.
(ii) 32 States and the FCT have established SUBEBs.
(iii) 32 States and the FCT have accessed the 1st Quarter Matching Grant.
(iv) 18 States and FCT have accessed the 2nd Quarter Matching Grant.
(v) 5 States and FCT have accessed the 3rd Quarter Matching Grant.
(vi) 4,522 communities have benefited from UBE Self-Help funds of N2.910bn to improve
educational facilities and narrow the gap between educationally developed and educationally less developed States/Local Government’s framework of poverty alleviation.
(vii) Intensive advocacy and social mobilization by UBEC engendered greater awareness and reception of the UBE reform agenda.

C. CHALLENGES

a) More than eight million children 6 - 11 years are not in school.
b) Drop-out rate in primary school is 9.3%.
c) Transition rate to secondary school is 61%.
d) UBE program is in dire need of more than 40,000 qualified teachers, 336,467 additional classrooms, 336,144 additional chairs and tables and 950,430 units of toilets to meet the present requirement.
e) Fast tracking the process of getting States that are lagging behind in accessing the UBE intervention fund.
f) Employment and retention of teachers of good quality.
g) Tracking Federal funds to ensure effective and efficient utilization.

8) The Way Forward
Answers to the questions below will offer the way forward:

* How ready are we for the implementation of the UBE?
* Are the schools and classrooms sufficient?
- are they worthy of being used as centres of learning judging from their stage of
dilapidation.
* Do we have enough teachers for the programme?
* Will 100% transition from primary to junior secondary compromise quality education?
* How do we place the pupils from primary schools in junior secondary schools?
- from public primary to public secondary
- from private primary to public secondary
* How prepared are the teachers?
- for the pupils population explosion
- for the expanded curriculum – HIV/AIDS, ICT, Road Safety, etc
- are they adequately trained
- do they have sufficient refresher courses and workshops
- are the teachers computer literate, who is teaching who between the teacher and the
student.
* Are the teachers sufficiently motivated?
* How ready is government to retain the teachers and attract more into the system?
* Have we mass-produced instructional materials?
* Are our laboratories and introductory technology workshops well equipped for UBE?
* What of libraries – have they been expanded and more books stocked?
* Can the infrastructures and available amenities in schools support computer education?
* What has been done about sports grounds and equipments?
* How about the boarding facilities?
* Are the inspectorate division of our ministries ready?
* How adequate is the funding?
* Is UBE science oriented or consistent with computer age?
* Will our UBE provide quality along with quantity education?
* Is our UBE modus operandi analogue in a digital world?
* Is government promoting privatization of education or abandoning provision of adequate
access to public education?
* How moderate are fees in private schools?
- can government moderate them to avoid creation of class distinction in the society
- can the high fees work against the realization of education for all by 2015
* Will implementation of Teachers Salary Structure not guarantee teachers retention for
effective prosecution of the UBE scheme?
* Have we started thinking and planning for where to empty the graduates of 9 years basic
Education?
* Have we begun to plan for expansion of senior secondary school to cater for expected population upsurge at the end of 1st 9 years?

9) Conclusion
From what has so far been discussed in this paper, it must be recognized that the business of education is multifaceted and multi-dimensional. Therefore, for the programme of UBE to succeed, we cannot take too lightly the challenges that are before us. The universal Basic Education Commission, and other relevant agencies of Government, Civil Society Organisations, Teacher Associations, and Communities must tackle frontally the challenges enumerated hereunder:

• Adequate funding for the implementation of basic education especially at State level.
• Proper utilization of FGN funds for Basic Education by States.
• Increased funding by Development partners to address funding gap required to achieve basic education.
• Work assiduously to eliminate socio-cultural barriers to girls education and socio-economic problem of boys.
• Adequate number of qualified teachers
• Enforcement of the minimum standard of NCE for teachers.
• Institutionalization of teacher-in service training as provided for in the UBEC Act.
• Adequate ICT equipment and other teaching and instructional materials.
• Adequate infrastructural facilities (note that at present 336,467 classroom, 336,144 chairs and tables and 950,430 units of toilets are needed).
• Pressure from HIV and AIDs.

In our efforts to face these challenges, we must not fail to focus on the teacher and recognize the pivotal role and responsibilities thrusted on him in our determination to provide for our children unfettered access to Quality Basic Education. Every opportunity, therefore, must be used to draw attention to the plight of teachers who are under pressure from rising school enrolment, poor motivation, and poor teaching/learning environment. Apart from adequately addressing the issues of quantity and quality, retention of qualified teachers must be pursued vigorously through motivation and the institutionalization of a separate salary structure and welfare packages would make the teaching profession lucrative, attractive and check the paucity or dearth of teachers thereby ensuring adequate manpower for effective delivery of basic education to our children.





REFERENCES

1) An address by the Honourable Minister of Education Mrs. Chiwe Nora Obaji on the occasion of the 2006 Global EFA Week Celebration April, 20th 2006. (unpublished).

2) Basic Information on Universal Basic Education – UBEC.

3) Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 Federal Government, Apapa, Lagos.

4) Federal Government Approved Guidelines for Assessing and Utilization of FGN UBE Intervention Fund – March 2006.

5) Federal Ministry of Education, EFA Report Card – Nigeria 2003/ 2004.

6) National Policy on Education 4th Edition (NPE) 2004 NERDC, YABA, LAGOS.

7) The Compulsory, Free, Universal Basic Education Act 2004 and other related matters.

8) UBE: A Flagship Programme of the Federal Republic of Nigeria – UBEC.

9) UBEC, 2004 Annual Report – Universal Basic Education Commission.

10) UBE Digest Vol. 2 No. 2 December 2002 Universal Basic Education Commission.