States get ultimatum to implement minimum standards in secondary schools

The National Senior Secondary Education Commission announced on Monday that it has provided state governments with a one-year deadline to adopt the newly established minimum standards for senior secondary schools.

During a discussion with journalists in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Iyela Ajayi, made this statement.

Dr. Ajayi praised the significant support being offered to NSSEC by the Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad. He emphasized that the Commission is dedicated to developing frameworks aimed at enhancing the quality, structure, and accountability of senior secondary education across the country.

He highlighted one of the Commission's key achievements as the introduction of the National Minimum Standards for Secondary Education, which was launched in February. "The National Minimum Standards pertain to the benchmarking requirements for all facets of secondary education. This includes inquiries such as: How many teachers are present? What qualifications should they possess? What is the appropriate teacher-student ratio? What infrastructure is available, among other considerations."

“The type of buildings you have, the quality of the buildings, all these are clearly spread out in the Minimum Standards,” he added. “We have developed the Minimum Standards, and it was launched in February this year, and we have distributed the Minimum Standards to all the states of the Federation. We have given them 12 months within which to comply because the law establishing this commission has not only given us the power to produce Minimum Standards, but to enforce it.”

According to him, state governments have a one-year compliance window, after which NSSEC will begin nationwide enforcement inspections. “There must be standards and uniformity. We cannot continue with a situation where students learn under trees or in classrooms without roofs. Those days must end,” he added.

Ajayi explained that the Commission is also intensifying efforts to raise teacher quality through continuous professional development, including training programs for English and Mathematics teachers and capacity building on AI-driven teaching methods for educators and school administrators.

Regarding curriculum modifications, he highlighted NSSEC's involvement in recent national reforms that include the reintroduction of History, the alleviation of curriculum overload, and the enhancement of skill-based education.

In spite of financial limitations, the NSSEC leader stated that the Commission has enabled the improvement of 50 senior secondary schools, with at least one in each state, through constituency initiatives. "These improvements encompass new classrooms, laboratories, and ICT facilities. While we are not yet at the level of UBEC, the progress we have made is already altering the narrative," he remarked.

Ajayi disclosed that NSSEC is also collaborating with telecommunications companies to provide subsidized broadband access in schools and is partnering with development organizations to acquire 30,000 tablets for teachers across the nation. He added that plans are in progress to mandate computer literacy for all students and to broaden the curriculum in robotics, artificial intelligence, and data science.

Nevertheless, he stressed that these aspirations are constrained by a lack of direct funding. "Our primary obstacle is funding, funding, funding. The legislation allocates 2 percent of the CRF for NSSEC initiatives, yet as I speak, not a kobo has been disbursed," he stated.

The National Senior Secondary Education Commission is anticipated to supervise and regulate senior secondary education in Nigeria, concentrating on policy formulation, quality assurance, and the implementation of standards.

The commission's objective is to enhance learning outcomes and ensure that students are adequately prepared for higher education and the job market. By establishing standards and offering support to schools, the commission plays a vital role in shaping the future of Nigeria's youth and fostering national development.