Police Seeks UBEC Support For Schools

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The Nigerian Police on Tuesday asked Universal Basic Education, UBEC to extend its intervention in primary education to schools being run by the law enforcement agency across the country.
The plea was made by the Police Director of Education, Kabir Ibrahim, a Deputy Commissioner of Police when he paid a courtesy visit to Mohamed Ahmed Modibbo, the Executive Secretary of the Commission in Abuja.
He also disclosed that the police currently run about 62 primary schools and seven secondary schools in 29 states of the federation.
He added that the schools were established basically to minimise disruption in education of children of policemen and women as a result of frequent transfer of their parents. He submitted that with financial intervention from the UBEC, the schools will function more effectively. Ibrahim therefore appealed that the interest of Police schools should be taken into consideration when the UBEC Act is amended.
Modibbo, acknowledged the marginalization of police schools and other non-conventional schools in the present UBEC programmes which he blamed on the Act establishing the Commission.
“Our disbursement did not foresee a situation whereby it will directly support schools owned and operated by the Police, Military, Customs, Civil Defence and others because interventions were targeted at directly intervening through state governments. Indeed, even Federal Unity Colleges and Federal Staff Schools are not benefiting as a result of that arrangement,” said Modibbo.
He added that the commission is currently working on an amendment to the UBEC Act of 2004 to correct the situation.
According to him, “the funding arrangement is being reviewed; the mandate of the Commission is being expanded to include not only junior secondary schools, but also the senior secondary schools, Federal Unity Colleges and all schools run by the Federal Government as they will all find a way to benefit from the funding arrangement.”
The UBEC boss added that though financing of basic education is the responsibility of states and local governments, the Federal Government has however decided to intervene in the provision of basic education with 2% of its Consolidated Revenue Fund and coordinated by UBEC.
The UBE Programme, he said, is Nigeria’s strategy for the achievement of Education for All (EFA) and the education-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Modibbo added that the proposed amendments to the UBEC Act will soon be forwarded to the Federal Executive Council for consideration and onward submission to the National Assembly for passage into law.
-Desmond Utomwen
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