The National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) in pursuit of revitalising the Senior Secondary Education has collaborated with the American Mission on ways to reposition the sector.
The Executive Secretary, NSSEC, Dr Iyela Ajayi who led the theme to the American Mission, while highlighting the areas of possible collaboration said it was set to establish teacher exchange programmes where educators from both countries can observe and participate in each other’s educational systems.
Ajayi said this would help in fostering cross-cultural understanding and professional growth.
On inclusive education, he canvassed for technical support in developing inclusive education strategies to accommodate learners with diverse learning needs.
He listed other areas of collaboration as -Teacher Training and Professional Development Workshops and Seminars: Workshops and seminars on modern teaching methodologies, classroom management techniques and sharing of best practices and innovative approaches.
Others are Curriculum Enhancement: STEM Education: Collaborate on developing robust STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs by providing resources, expertise, and technology to enhance the STEM curriculum in Senior Secondary Schools, among others.
Ajayi further stated that, funding was the greatest challenge of the Commission, as the Commission was yet to receive the 2 per cent consolidated revenue fund accrued to the Commission by law.
He added that notwithstanding the challenge in view, the Commission was strategically working ahead with the state government to strengthen the law that would establish the State Senior Secondary Education Board.
According to him, the Board when established, would enable the various states benefit form NSSEC intervention fund, meant for the repositioning the Sector and further strengthen the NSSEC mutual relationship with the state especially in the area of implementation of the National Minimum Standard for the Sector.
He revealed that the document had pppppbeen produced by the Commission but now waiting for the final approval by the appropriate body before implementation.
He then added that the Commission was looking forward seeing the American Mission collaborating with NSSEC in the area of funding some of its programmes this year and beyond.
Responding, the First Secretary, Public Diplomacy, Mr Peter Burba and his team revealed that, the American Mission funding for the year 2024 and had been completed already.
Burba moreover, said their focus was more on basic and tertiary education, but nevertheless, NSSEC may as well benefit from American spaces which was also an arm of the mission.
They revealed, that, it had a robust programme that would be of immense benefit for the Commission, while looking forward to collaborating with the Commission in the areas of capacity building of teachers, sport diplomacy, special english language programmes, among others.