Minister unveils measures to boost STEM, vocational training

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has outlined a new strategy focused on advancing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), as well as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to enhance the overall quality of learning in the country.

Alausa, who stated this while declaring open the stakeholders’ consultative dialogue on the Education Sector Renewal Initiative 2024-2027, said his strategic goals include reducing the number of out-of-school children, addressing learning poverty, and enhancing skills development and human capital for the labour market.

The meeting had in attendance representatives from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the World Bank and the European Union among others.

Alausa emphasised the integration of out-of-school children and Almajiri into formal education, alongside initiatives such as conditional cash transfers, school feeding programmes as well as social and behavioural change communication for the education of girls and vulnerable population.

The minister also stressed the importance of strengthened governance and management in the sector, which involves organisational reforms of relevant institutions, enhanced oversight of programmes and subnational implementation, improved planning, resource allocation, tracking, research, and monitoring.

He also announced plans to build a robust data architecture and strengthen the education management information system to improve decision-making and accountability across the sector.

He said: “The education sector is filled with numerous challenges, including infrastructural decay, funding issues, unreliable data intake, poor capacity development for teachers, and problems of out-of-school children.”

He restated the ministry’s commitment to providing qualitative education for all as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Earlier, the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, acknowledged the challenges facing Nigeria’s education system, assuring of the ministry’s commitment to providing quality education in line with global standards and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noting that achieving this requires collaboration with development partners, stakeholders, and the private sector.