As part of its work under the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) programme, The Education Partnership (TEP) Centre, in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, has commenced the rollout of the Graded Assessment of Non-State Schools (GAPS) in 500 institutions across Lagos State.
The programme aims to strengthen accountability and improve quality in basic education by equipping evaluators with a robust, multidimensional digital assessment tool.
This rollout follows a successful two-day training held on June 18 to 19, 2025, which brought together staff from key state education agencies, including the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA).
As the technical lead on this rollout, TEP Centre designed and facilitated the training, drawing from both international and local best practices and tailoring the tool to the specific needs of Lagos State’s education system.
This effort builds TEP Center’s previous implementations of the programme in over 1,000 schools across Kano, Kaduna, and Jigawa, where the assessments have informed the development of targeted school improvement plans.
The Lagos implementation marks the beginning of the programme’s expansion into the South West.
Utibe Henshaw, Programme Director at TEP Centre said, “For too long, the performance and quality of non-state schools have gone under the radar.”
“The Graded Assessment exercise, which we are now expanding to the South West following its success in KKJ states, is a bold step toward addressing that gap. By equipping evaluators with the right tools and standards, Lagos is taking a significant step toward evidence-driven, equitable, and accountable education reform.”
The first phase of the rollout began on June 26 and is expected to conclude by mid-July, with field monitoring extending into the third week of the month.
During this period, trained evaluators will visit selected schools to assess critical dimensions such as school leadership and governance, learning environments, and teaching quality.
The assessments will serve as a diagnostic to inform future state policy, support school-level improvements, and promote transparent education outcomes for learners in the non-state sector.
This programme is supported by SEED Care and Support Foundation and implemented under the wider PLANE programme, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
As Lagos continues to pursue comprehensive education reform, this initiative represents a critical step in ensuring all children have access to quality education.
