By Stephen Adeleye.
The Kogi State Government on Monday inaugurated the School Based Management Committees (SBMCs), aimed at improving governance and effective educational system in both public and private basic and secondary schools across the state.
Her Excellency, the wife of Kogi Governor, Mrs Rashidat Bello, at the inauguration ceremony in Government House, Lokoja, urged the committee members to collaborate with the government in achieving the desired goals.
”We all know the importance of education in Nigeria especially in Kogi state and I am sure collectively, we are working very hard to better our state.
”I want to tell us that each and everyone of us also has a great role to play in our different ways; this is why the inauguration of this SBMCs was initiated.
”Let us as parents, teachers, traditional and religious leaders, join hands together to see how we can send our children back to school especially women,” she said.
She, therefore, urged the members of the committee to be on the same page with the government to better the educational system in Kogi and making it the best in Nigeria.
The first lady stressed that government alone could not do it by themselves, saying it should be a collective efforts from all the relevant stakeholders for the betterment of future generations.
So, it concerns me and you. I need you to promise me that you will join hands with us to see how we can better the educational system in Kogi for the benefit of our children.
”To make sure that all our children are in school”, Bello said.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, said the SBMCs was a governing body consisting of 10 statutory members drawn from host communities of all secondary schools across the 21 local government areas of Kogi.
According to Osikoya, SBMC was a resolution of the National Council of Education (NCE) in 1995, aimed at improving governance of basic and secondary schools, as well as provide sustainable platform for stakeholders participations and non-government support to the schools.
”Though expected to be implemented by all States, the successful cases are predominantly the Federal Unity Colleges.
”Recent dialogues at national levels have identified this framework as critical in addressing the gaps in the sector and the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) has commenced increased sensitization.
”All learning institutions- both formal and informal are expected to implement the SBMC/ Centre Based Management Committees (CBMC)- as applicable to vocational skillls centres guidelines,” Osikoya said.
She noted that the Kogi SBMC Policy guideline was adopted from the FUCs guidelines in 2008, circulated in November 2018 and presented to school managers in February 2019.
She added that all schools were directed to nominate members of their SBMCs in line with the guidelines and the SBMCs were being inaugurated today.
She said the selection of SBMCs cut across people of proven characters who could canvass both financial and moral supports to developing the school, but not involve in day-to-day running of the school.
She, therefore, enjoined all committee members to critically study the ”Terms of Preference” of the SBMCs’ documents to understand their primary roles and act accordingly.
She further urged the committees not to abuse the privilege but to complement government’s efforts to ensuring optimum functional education system in all schools across the state.
On his part, Mr Suleiman Abdullahi, the Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), said the SBMCs would complement the board’s efforts to ensuring that schools were conducive for teaching and learning through infrastructure.
Also speaking, the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Kogi House of Assembly, Mr Olushola Kilani, called for functional education framework, where teachers would be happy teaching the students, and students happy going to school.
He urged the SBMC members to align themselves with the four components of development, such as: institutions, industries, government’s policies and priority for infrastructure and the communities, to move Kogi State forward.
In her goodwill message, Mrs Zainab Lawal, the State Coordinator, Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), said that the inauguration came at the right time in moving education to the next level in line with the present administrations’ agenda.
Lawal stressed that they would serving as the think-tank for the schools and as such would be consulted from time to time on schools related matters.
Other stakeholders who spoke at the inauguration were: STETSCOM, ANCOPSS, NAPPS among others.
