The Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC says Early Childhood Care Development and Education, ECCDE is taking the centre stage in basic education delivery in Nigeria.
The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboi, stated this at a five-day stakeholders’ engagement on the development of a roadmap on effective implementation of early childhood care development and education in Kaduna.
Bobboi said the change in education system was paramount to the Commission because of the importance of early childhood care development and education.
He explained that the ECCDE framework would reinforce the effort targeted at eliminating the menace of out-of-school children.
He said it would also attract the attention of Ministries, Parastatals and local and international development partners to start directing efforts at promoting ECD in Nigeria.
The UBEC Executive Secretary stressed that globally, records have shown that through play based activities at this foundational stage, the child develops and acquires skills for effective transition into the primary school as well as retention and completion of school.
According to him, the basic education sub-sector has proven itself in all ramifications, to be a means to an end to so many educational challenges in Nigeria from poor reading habits, poor performance in Schools, lack of interest in acquiring basic and sustainable learning to the very devastating one that the whole world is talking about and earnestly looking for solution to which is the menace of out-of-school.
“The commission has to kick start this process in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Education and UNICEF because it has the mandate to ensure uninterrupted access to qualitative functional early learning to all children within the age group of 3-5 years in Nigeria,” Dr Bobboi said.
He explained that, “Though, a lot of resource has been invested massively in the provision of learning materials in schools for the expansion of early childhood education delivery, the need for a roadmap cannot be over emphasised.
“This is because, the implementation of ECCDE requires synergy and collaboration as all levels since the early childhood development in holistic, inter sectorial, multidimensional and the foundation of all E education level.”
Confidence Okwuchi
