The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman has tasked the various state commissioners of education on the implementation of the national standards and strategic plans in other to enhance secondary educational landscape.

Mamman was speaking at the Stakeholders’ Validation Meeting of the Draft National Minimum Standards and Draft Strategic Plans for senior secondary education in Abuja on Friday.

While soliciting for state commissioners to priortise education at secondary levels, he said that adopting the roadmap of the validation would go a long way in providing effective policies that would translate to quality education.

“Before now, senior secondary education was left without a coordinating agency but we want to thank the National Assembly for their efforts in the creation of this National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC).

” There are still issues that we want the National Assembly to help address and this is the 2 per cent tax that should be given to the commission so that it can help push for infrastructure in senior secondary schools.

“The primary role of NSSEC is to provide and enforce minimum standards for secondary schools in Nigeria in the area of teaching, quality assurance, Planning, Research and Statistics and infrastructure.

“It is the responsibility of stakeholders especially at the federal and state levels to help drive this. Therefore, this meeting is expected to review and validate the minimum standards and strategic plans,” he said.

The Minister noted that implementation of the two documents would address the learning crisis at the pre-tertiary education and also provide relevant education that would help the young one with livelihood as well as active members of the society.

“We want everybody to come together to bring hope to the education sector just as it uses to be 40 years ago.

“It is now time for us to turn things around and tha no child in this country misses school for whatever reason,” he said.

Also, the Executive Secretary, NSSEC, Dr Iyela Ajayi said the commission in the last eight months had continued to implement the mandates of NSSEC.

” We have successfully developed a National Policy on Senior Secondary Education and its implementation guidelines.

“The policy is designed to provide a comprehensive framework and guidelines for the operation of senior secondary education in the country.

“The policy is first of its kind in this country and after undergoing different processes, was given final approval by the National Council on Education (NCE) in December 2023 at Lagos,” he said.

Ajayi said that the draft National Minimum Standards for senior secondary education in Nigeria and the draft Strategic Plan for senior secondary education in Nigeria, 2024- 2027 would launched soon.

“You will recall that before 2021, it was only the Senior Secondary Education sub-sector that operated without a regulatory and intervention agency and this had negative implications for this all-important and critical sub-sector of the Nigeria education system.

“It was in an attempt to reposition senior secondary education in Nigeria that in 2021, the Federal Government of Nigeria established the commission as a regulatory and intervention agency for all aspects of senior secondary education and TVET in Nigeria.

“Among others, NSSEC has the mandate to prescribe and enforce minimum standards including intervention in the area of infrastructural development in senior secondary education in Nigeria,” he said .

Meanwhile, the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Basic Education and Services, Hon. Mukhtar Shagaya said the development of the two documents mark a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to reposition the senior secondary education sub-sector for quality education delivery.

“These documents will serve as essential guides in promoting and monitoring globally accepted standards, providing a roadmap for the development of senior secondary education in Nigeria.

“As we look to the future, it is imperative that we remain steadfast in our commitment to implementing the draft documents.

“These initiatives are poised to have a transformative impact on education delivery, student outcomes, and
overall national development,” he said.