Education
A coalition of education stakeholders under the Evidence and Collaboration for Inclusive Development (ECID) project, is partnering with Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (Kaduna SUBEB) in the implementation of school infrastructure projects.
Mr Gabriel David, Research and Documentation Officer, Aid Foundation, the NGO implementing ECID project in the state, sought the partnership when they visited the board in Kaduna on Friday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the advocacy visit was done in collaboration with the Kaduna State Basic Education Accountability Mechanism (KADBEAM).
David said that the partnership would help improve access to education by adolescent boys and girls in the most marginalised communities as part of efforts to achieve education for all.
He acknowledged ongoing efforts by the state government through Kaduna SUBEB to address the problem of access to quality education by all, particularly those in marginalised communities.
David said that the advocacy was to draw attention of the board to some concerns in the implementation of infrastructure projects and other interventions.
He identified some of the concerns as non-compliance of school infrastructure to the needs of Persons with Disability (PWDs).
“For example, available evidence from field visits to schools shows that more than 90 per cent of public and private schools are not constructed to ease access by PWDs.
“There are inadequate blocks of classrooms to accommodate the increasing number of pupils, with pupil to classroom ratio currently at 108 to 1.
“More than 50 per cent of schools, particularly those in rural communities need to be renovated.
“For instance, out of the 1,136 usable classrooms in Kauru Local Government, 427 require major repairs, 1,110 do not have sufficient furniture, while teaching is being conducted outside in 118 schools,” he said.
David added that 66 per cent of basic schools in the state do not have access to water, while 67 per cent have no health facility.
He urged the board to construct classrooms that would be easily accessible by PWDs and prioritise renovation of schools in rural communities.
He also called on the government to make provisions for water and sanitation facilities as well as proximity to health facilities in the design and construction of basic schools in the state.
The research and documentation officer explained that ECID was being implemented by Christian Aid in Nigeria and Funded by United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
He said that the three-year project was designed to give voice to the most marginalised groups in communities by empowering them to access information and participate in decision making processes.
“It was also designed to increase the effectiveness of civil society and responsiveness of duty bearers by using evidence to inform decision-making,” he added.
Responding, SUBEB Director of Schools, Malam Aliyu Idris assured the ECID team that the government was already making efforts to make school building accessible to all.
Aliyu said that ongoing renovations would address some of the inclusion deficit, while new constructions would be designed to meet the needs of PWDs.
He assured the stakeholders of Kaduna SUBEB that he would run an open door policy for relevant stakeholders to partner with the board in its efforts to improve access to quality education by all in the state. (NAN)
Feb. 19, 2021 @ 14:41 PM
Tags: Coalition seeks partnership with Kaduna SUBEB on implementation of infrastructure projects
