Nassarawa (Nigeria) – The Nigerian Government has commenced the process of developing Guidelines on National Education Quality Assurance Policy to further strengthen quality education delivery in the country.
This was made known at a stakeholder’s workshop, organized by the Department of Education and Quality Assurance Services, Federal Ministry of Education in collaboration with Education Sector Support Program in Nigeria (ESSPIN) and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in Nasarawa State, North-central Nigeria.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Folasade Yemi- Esan noted that the 60th National Council on Education held at Abeokuta in 2014, had approved the development of the policy implementation guidelines.
The Permanent Secretary, who was represented by the Director of Tertiary Education Department, Hindatu Abdullahi, in a keynote address said, the present outcome in terms of learner’s performance as evidenced by public examination results below tertiary level still leaves much to be desired as it does not justify government’ s huge investment in education.
She said, “There is therefore no better time than now, for all stakeholders to come together for the production of implementation guidelines on the National Education Quality Assurance policy (NEQAP). It will ensure a unified and informed approach to Education Quality Assurance practices.”
She commended the commitment of the Federal Government to education delivery as demonstrated in the 2016 Budget and the plan to recruit and train 500,000 teachers for the basic education level as well as the proposed school feeding program.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Director of Education Quality Assurance Services, Fatima Ahmed explained that the workshop was a follow up to the adoption of Quality Assurance approach to inspections and subsequent production of the Quality Assurance policy, saying that the Implementation Guideline being developed would provide clear direction for Inspectors to operate.
