Plateau State government in its effort towards revamping the educational sector for efficient service delivery has expressed commitment to establish a State Senior Secondary Education Board.
Governor Mutfwang gave this indication on Tuesday when the Executive Secretary of the National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC), Dr. Iyela Ajayi, and his team paid him a courtesy visit.
Governor Mutfwang emphasized on the need for urgent intervention in the infrastructure of Senior Secondary schools to create a conducive learning atmosphere to enable students compete favorably with their global counterparts.
He commended the federal government’s initiative in establishing the NSSEC and pledged to replicate a similar setup in Plateau State so that his state can access potential interventions from the Commission.
Governor Mutfwang noted that since the Commission is new, there was need to embark on advocacy visit to let people know that it exits.
“I know the debate that has been going on about the gaps at the secondary school level and it is gratifying to note that government took action to establish a commission to take charge of this critical sector of our educational system”.
He noted: “The Senior Secondary School is a very critical juncture in the educational pursuit of every student. But for some time, it has been very glaring that things have been done haphazardly. The standard is deteriorating and it is a welcome development to attempt to put standards in place for secondary education”.
Governor Mutfwang advocated for the inclusion of other secondary schools that are neither private nor public into the Commission’s intervention to enhance their contribution in shaping competent young individuals to drive the country’s economy shortly.
Governor Mutfwang declared that the bill for the establishment of the State Senior Secondary Education Board would be worked on immediately and forwarded to the State House of Assembly without delay.
On his part, Dr. Iyela Ajayi, the Executive Secretary of the NSSEC, expressed gratitude to Governor Mutfwang for the warm reception and explained that the Commission would provide infrastructural development for secondary schools with the state contributing 5 percent of the funding.
He said the Federal Government revitalized the NSSEC in 2021 to regulate and improve Senior Secondary Education, ensuring minimum standards and intervention in Nigeria’s senior secondary education.
The Executive Secretary said to benefit from the Federal Government’s intervention fund, States are required to meet certain conditions, including establishing a Senior Secondary Education Board by the NSSEC Act.
The State Board, Dr. Ajayi said, should comply with the composition and functions as provided in the Act, with NSSEC representation and uniformity in SSEB laws.
