65th National Council on Education adopts National policy on school security as reference document

The National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools in Nigeria as well as it Implementation guidelines will now serve as reference documents for all Education Stakeholders across the country.

This was a major highlight in the communique issued at the end of the 5-day 65th National Council on Education, NCE meeting held in Jalingo, Taraba State capital.

The Council also agreed that the Federal Ministry of Education, States and the Federal Capital Territory should organise advocacy and sensitisation programmes on the implementation of Safe Schools Declaration laws and Policies across the Federation.

The meeting called for the acceleration of the process of disarticulating Junior and Senior Secondary Schools in line with the 1-6-3-3-4 National Policy on Education.

The 65th NCE meeting directed States and the Federal Capital Territory to set up Task Force to enforce sanctions on parents/guardians whose children/wards are on the streets during school hours.

It urged for the establishment of e-learning centres for Out-of-School Children and ensure that the use of Accelerated Basic Education Curriculum are deployed  at the centres.

Also contained in the Communique is the need for States, the FCT and the Ministries of Water Resources to complement the effort of the Universal Basic Education Commision, (UBEC) in funding Water Sanitation and Hygiene, (WASH) programme in all Basic Schools in Nigeria.

The meeting further agreed that in collaboration with NUC, NBTE, NCCE should conduct skills gap assessment of tertiary education of graduates in Nigeria.

The Communique stated that in collaboration with the National Universities Commission, National Board for Technical Education and the National Commissiom for Colleges of Education should develop a stand-alone National Policy on Skills Development for employability of Tertiary Education graduates in Nigeria.

“The FME in collaboration with NUC, NBTE, NCCE should adopt an implementable blueprint for employability of tertiary education graduates in the labour market”.

It added that the FME, States and the FCT should provide adequate security and protection for teachers in tertiary institutions in the communities that are prone to crises.

The Council however agreed that “Strengthening of Security and Safety in Nigerian Schools for the achievement of Education 2030 Agenda” would be the theme for the next cycle of Joint Consultative Committee on Education, (JCCE) meetings .

The 66th National Council on Education, (NCE) meeting will be hosted by the Yobe State Government in 2022.

This years theme of the 65th NCE was ‘Eradicating Out-of-School Children Phenomenon:  A Tool for the Achievement of Education 2030 Agenda’.

Emmanuel Ukoh