The National Commission on Nomadic Education (NCNE) has said it is training its staff, including Extension Agents, Women Development Officers Nomadic Education Stakeholders, among others, on capacity development of Nomadic schools based on leaders of the School Based Management Committees (SBMCs); in order to reduce out-of-school children in Nigeria.
The Executive Secretary of the commission, Professor Bashir Usman, made the revelation Thursday during a 3-day workshop organized by the NCNE for the staff in Enugu.
In a statement made available to Blueprint, by the PRO of the commission, Mr Fidelis Idoko, Prof Usman said that the workshop is “a giant stride on the part of those involved in the implementation of quality basic functional education in the country.”
He said the workshop is one of the series of carefully planned activities by the commission aimed at accelerating the achievement of Education for All (EFA), Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), universalization of access to quality functional basic education and other educational development benchmarks through enhancing girls’ participation in formal and non-formal educational provisions in nomadic communities.
The statement reads in part: “The capacity development of the leaders of SBMCs is expected to mobilize the communities on the role of SBMCs to increase pupils’ enrolment, attendance, progression, transition as well as improve operations, teaching and learning activities. The training will spell out the roles and responsibilities of SBMCs aimed at creating synergy between school, communities, local governments, traditional rulers, civil societies and all other stakeholders towards the development of nomadic schools in the country.
“SBMCs are a new approach aimed at the use of communities in school governance and development through effective and efficient management strategies. The new paradigm shift seeks to involve all stakeholders. This strategy will, to a great extent accelerate, the process of reducing out-of-school children especially as it relates to the Nomadic Education Programme.
“Moreover, SBMCs are aimed at promoting decision making by the people where each and every member has a say in the governance of the schools. In essence, people initiate, conceptualize, discuss, plan and implement activities they will do as community. The same community in form of SBMCs collectively evaluate the projects or activities accomplished. This means that every stakeholder has a stake in the affairs of their children education.”
