Background
The Universal Basic Education (UBE) was introduced to improve on Nigerian Primary School system nationally without any state being left behind. It came into existence to eradicate the former educational policies which were not meeting up expectations due to improper funding, poor planning and implementation.
The programme is aimed at providing free and compulsory education for children in primary schools and Junior Secondary schools. it is a nine year educational programme which involves 6 years in the primary school and 3 years in the Junior Secondary School. The UBE initiative is projected towards providing access to ensuring qualitative Basic Education throughout the country.
Against this background, Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board was established like all other SUBEBs in the country as a down line of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) of the federal government.
To achieve this stated objectives, SUBEBs in collaboration with Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) makes financial contributions towards the development of basic Education in the State. The State Government contribute 50 percent counterpart fund to match up the 50percent Matching grant of the Federal Government. The money contributed is usually used in the under listed projects :
• Training of Teachers/ Education Managers
• Construction and renovation of classroom/offices and perimeter fencing
• Provision of ICT facilities in the schools
• Purchase of Furniture for teachers and pupils
• Provision of water supply and sanitation facilities in schools
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• Provision of ECCDE ( Early Child Care Development Education) Education materials
The Board caters for 1233 primary schools, Junior secondary schools and the 4 special schools in the state located in Ikare, Owo, Ile-oluji, and Akure in terms of infrastructural development. The total enrolment in our primary school is four hundred and thirty four thousand (434,000) as at today.
Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has five departments.
THE STATE OF THE PRIMARY SCHOOL BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT OF ARAKUNRIN ODUNAYO AKEREDOLU (SAN).
Prior to the coming on board of the government of Arakunrin Rotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, the state of the basic schools in Ondo state was in a bad shape because the former administration was unable to pay the counterpart fund of UBEC The fund is an annual grant by the Federal Government to help States to upgrade their primary schools Education facilities in order to provide qualitative education for the national children. The release of this grant is subject to the payment of the state counterpart contribution of 50 percent.
Immediately Governor ,Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) came on board he inaugurated the Board of Ondo State Universal Basic Education and set the ball rolling by paying the counterpart fund from 2013 to 2016.
In this regard, a sum of N3.9 billion was paid by the Government of Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu to be able to access N3.9 billion of UBEC fund. In total, a sum of N7.8 billion was made available.
For 2017 and 2018 another N5.4 billion was also provided to cater for more renovation and construction in the schools. Consequently, another round of renovation and construction of schools are presently on-going across the 18 Local Government Areas.
As at date, a sum of 13.2 billion naira has been expended by Arakunrin Akeredolu’s administration in the basic schools in the following areas:
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• construction of new classrooms and perimeter fencing,
• renovation of old existing ones,
• provision of play ground and information technology equipment,
• erection of containerised toilets,
• supply of pupils and teachers furniture to the newly constructed schools.
Furthermore, the Government of Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) also provided borehole and water sanitation, Early Childhood care Development (ECCDE) equipment for our primary school in Ondo state.
The Government has newly introduced games such as volleyball, Badminton, Table tennis in order to pique the interest of these young ones in sport as they grow. All the equipment for these games have been provided for some selected schools in the state. Agriculture has also introduced into some of our schools
Breaking down the projects done so far in the last three years. I am proud to say that the Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board has executed the following projects under the UBEC/SUBEB projects
• 181 new classrooms building,
• 97 perimeter fencing for maximum security of our pupils,
• 384 renovation works of the old and dilapidated buildings ,
• 10672 pupils furniture, 2090 teachers furniture,
• 264 mobile laboratories,
• 904 information technology equipment,
• 733 ECCDE furniture, 93 playground equipment
• 77 containerised toilets.
The complete analysis of the projects executed so far are detailed below:
S/N PROJECTS TOTAL
1.0 CONSTRUCTIONS
3 CLASSROOMS 81
4 CLASSROOMS 13
6 CLASSROOMS (WOODEN) 6
6 CLASSROOMS (BLOCK) 81
TOTAL 181
2.0 CONSTRUCTION OF PERIMETRE FENCE 97
3.0 REHABILITATIONS
6 CLASSROOMS 330
5 CLASSROOMS 1
4 CLASSROOMS 16
3 CLASSROOMS 20
2 CLASSROOMS 14
HALL 1
RENOVATION OF COMPUTER CENTRE 2
TOTAL 384
4.0 FURNITURE
PUPILS’ FURNITURE 10673
TEACHERS’ FURNITURE 2090
MOBILE LABORATORY 264
ICT 904
ECCDE- FURNITURE 733
PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT 93
BOREHOLE (WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION 31
5.0 PRIMARY SCHOOLS FOR AGRIC EDUCATION FACILITIES AND SPORT DEVLOPMENT EQUIPMENT
POULTRY 22
FISHERY 24
VOLLEYBALL 9
BADMINTON 9
TABLE TENNIS 9
These infrastructural developments have greatly imparted on the standards of primary school education in Ondo state. Our enrolments have increased significantly over the last 3 years of the administration of Governor Odunayo Akeredolu.
In the last three years of this government, training of primary school teachers has been uppermost in the agenda of this administration. We have continued to do training in collaboration with Universal Basic Education Commission under the Teachers Professional Development (TPD). We have done trainings in School Management Administration, Cluster Support Mechanism, ECCDE, Quality Assurance, Jolly phonics and Strengthening Mathematics and Science Education (SMASCE), about one hundred and sixty five million Naira (165,000.000) has been expended to retrain over six thousand four hundred and sixty six (6466) teachers in different programmes including Junior Secondary School Teachers under the Teacher Professional Development programme.
Under the department of Social Mobilization, a new department created in all the SUBEBS by UBEC, 66 schools have been identified to benefit from school based Management -School Improvement Programme ( SBMC- SIP) as part of new strategy to involve communities in the management of schools.
The identified schools were given some money to uplift the standard of basic education through execution of different projects like construction and renovation of classrooms and purchase of furniture for students and teachers.
Under this Department, Social Mobilization the UBEC in collaboration with State Government has provided adequate instructional material to our pupils in our public schools. Unlike before when pupils shared books in classes, but now, each pupil is entitled to a book which are given free of charge.
The instructional material provided so far are under listed below:
S/N INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS SUPPLIED TO SCHOOLS TOTAL PROCURED
1.0 ECCDE
CUSTOMISED PLAYING MATERIALS 11
PLASTICS CHAIRS AND TABLES 220 UNITS
PLAYING MATERIALS 900
2.0 PRIMARY 1-6
LIBRARY BOOKS 30,000
CHARTS 12,000
COMPUTER 100
INVERTER 11
JOLLYPHONICS 5,000
MATHEMATICAL SET 550
4.0 JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS
LIBRARY BOOKS 33,000
CHARTS 6000
SCIENCE BOXES (KITS) 60
MATHEMATICS TEACHING KITS 130
Furthermore, in the last three years of Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, I can boldly say that deserving teachers have been promoted regularly. Four thousand six hundred and seventy(4.670) teachers have been promoted in the last three years of Mr. Governor
Concerning the recruitment of teachers which I know many of us are interested in, the government of Arakunrin Akeredolu is working assiduously to make sure that teachers are recruited into our schools, the last time recruitment was done was during the tenure of late Governor Olusegun Agagu. As at now, we have a deficit of 8000 teachers in our schools. Due to retirement, death and transfer of teachers, the total number of teaching and non- teaching staff currently is seven thousand, five hundred and seventy six (7576) In order to salvage the situation before embarking on massive recruitment, we are presently drawing officers who have education background in the civil service and the Local Government Service to the primary schools. At the end of this exercise, the Government is willing to employ more teachers as well as non teaching staff into our primary schools. I certainly assure you that after this exercise, teachers’ recruitment will be done.
Thank you for reading and God bless.
Signed:
Princess Oladunni Odu,
SUBEB Chairman, Ondo State.
