For the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) , it’s policy to explore and exploit more avenues that will solidify Basic Education across the country remained unwavering, hence aside deploying formal approaches, informal approaches had been the bane of it’s policies and programs with the launching of the Open School Program (OSP).
The moves under the current management of Dr Hamid Bobboyi in conjunction with the State Universal Basic Education Boards SUBEBs was meant to address the issues of enrollment , retention, and completion of UBE programs for the dreadful 20M Out of School Children (OOSC), in a flexible education system, that allows participants to be acquainted remotely in an informal manner using appropriate learning strategies along with information and communication technology (ICT) tools.
Since the scourge of OOSC had attained a global trend and dimension and the need to keep tab on the ways and means to address the issues was taken a dangerous dimension, the need to redress the emerging trend using the OSP became desiring.
The paucity of relevant materials to improve and sustain Basic Education ranging from lack of teachers, schools, instructional materials and equipment, including over bloated classrooms and distance environment led to the recent re-covergence of stakeholders at sub- national levels which included SUBEBs to chart a new way for the development of Basic Education outside the formal sector with the inculcation of Open School Program (OSP).
With learners and teachers operating under a very tense, terse and difficult situations using the negative variables, it became germane to explore OSP , so as to avoid side effects towards the operationalization of quality Basic Education across the country.
The template of OSP which allowed learners to learn from anywhere away from the conventional school environment through flexibility, with no age restrictions, adopt several teaching measures with focus on ICT.
It also guarantee equal education opportunities to children who are opportuned to attend both formal and informal education using OSP.
Aside attaining 100% transition rate from primary to basic junior secondary school, the program allowed access to quality education to marginalized and disadvantaged group in the society.
The Open School Program provided a second chance for school dropouts, to meet the changing needs of learners , through vocational education.
With the renewed vigour to address Basic Education parities, the new program is geared towards addressing gender and inequalities in education at the basic levels.
It is also capable of enrolling school drop outs, those in school but not learning and also encourage a sustained policy towards the realization of quality Basic Education across the country.
UBEC’s determination and renewed efforts through the assemblage of State Universal Basic Education Board SUBEBs officials was capable of not only refocusing the Open School Program OSP, but redirecting it to realize it’s objectives by impacting and imparting knowledge on learners to attain Basic Education knowledge.
Written BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
