Poor record-keeping, lack of data hindering basic education

Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Hamid Bobboyi, has identified poor record-keeping in schools, lack of commitment to data generation by SUBEBs, inaccessibility or difficulty in obtaining data from private schools among others as some of the problems confronting basic education in the country.

Bobboyi disclosed this at a meeting with state commissioners of education, chairmen of SUBEBS and National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS).

He said: “The challenges of basic education in Nigeria are poor record-keeping in schools, low commitment, politicisation and falsification of data, and lack of commitment to data generation by SUBEBs.

“Inaccessibility or difficulty in obtaining data from private schools, Lack of budgetary provision for data generation – collection, validation, analysis and dissemination, low institutional and human capacity development.

“Non-adaptation to modern trends in data generation, lack of training on modern data collection techniques, and disarticulation of junior secondary to senior secondary– poor synergy, administrative misunderstanding.”

On how to resolve the challenges, Bobboyi said there is a need to embrace the commission’s current paradigm shift on data, serious commitment by education managers and administrators.

“First-line annual budget provision for data generation activities – data generation, analysis and reporting, leverage on and complement the effort of UBEC in providing basic facilities such as computers.

He added: “Consider the inclusion of training of teachers on schools’ record keeping as one of the teacher professional development (TPD) training packages to build the capacity of teachers in schools and data managers at the state and local government levels.

“Collaborate with the commissioners of education on the effective utilisation and use of the ‘‘training manual on school record keeping for pre and in-service teachers’’ developed by UNICEF in collaboration with the federal ministry of education and UBEC for such training programmes.