The Federal Authorities has unveiled a complete coverage framework aimed toward lowering the price of schooling for folks, bettering studying outcomes, and selling sustainability in colleges by way of the adoption of reusable, high-quality textbooks and strengthened high quality assurance mechanisms.
Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Schooling, Folasade Boriowo, in an announcement issued on Friday in Abuja, stated the coverage was collectively issued by the Minister of Schooling, Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Schooling, Suiwaba Sa’id.
She added that the brand new coverage types a part of ongoing reforms to reposition Nigeria’s schooling sector and ease the {financial} burden on households.
The ministers defined that the coverage prioritises using standardised, sturdy textbooks designed to final between 4 and 6 years, whereas expressly prohibiting the bundling of disposable workbooks with textbooks in colleges.
This method is meant to make sure that studying supplies could be reused throughout a number of educational periods.
In response to them, the initiative will enable siblings to share textbooks, considerably scale back recurring schooling prices for folks, and minimise waste throughout the faculty system, thereby supporting environmental sustainability.
As a part of broader sector reforms, they famous that the Federal Authorities has launched a uniform educational calendar to advertise consistency in instructing, studying, and faculty planning throughout the nation.
The schooling ministers additionally introduced the streamlining of commencement ceremonies to curb pointless {financial} stress on mother and father.
Underneath the brand new pointers, solely pupils and college students finishing Main 6, Junior Secondary Faculty 3 (JSS3), and Senior Secondary Faculty 3 (SSS3) are permitted to carry commencement ceremonies.
The ministers additional emphasised that the coverage strengthens the evaluation, high quality assurance, choice, and use of textbooks and educational supplies nationwide.
In response to the assertion, the reforms reply to longstanding considerations over frequent however superficial textbook revisions, weak rating requirements, and practices that compel mother and father to buy new textbooks yearly with out corresponding enhancements in content material or studying outcomes.
“A key provision of the coverage is the introduction of structured and significant revision cycles. Underneath the brand new framework, textbook revisions should replicate substantive enhancements in content material moderately than minor adjustments in format or pagination, thereby extending the lifespan of accepted textbooks and guaranteeing higher worth for cash,” it added.
The ministers additionally highlighted that the coverage introduces limits on the variety of accepted textbooks per topic and grade degree, consistent with worldwide greatest practices noticed in international locations reminiscent of Japan, Kenya, and Tanzania.
“This measure is predicted to enhance high quality, scale back market saturation, and simplify textbook choice processes for colleges and schooling authorities.
“The Nigerian Academic Analysis and Growth Council (NERDC) will proceed to play a central function within the evaluation and high quality assurance of educational supplies, working carefully with related schooling companies to make sure that solely high-quality, curriculum-aligned textbooks are accepted to be used in colleges nationwide.
“The Federal Ministry of Schooling reaffirms its dedication to schooling renewal and reform, and commends the Common Fundamental Schooling Fee, NERDC, and different technical companions for his or her contributions to the event of the brand new coverage framework.
“The ministers reaffirmed the Federal Authorities’s resolve to safeguard academic requirements, promote fairness, scale back prices for folks, and make sure that learners throughout Nigeria have entry to high-quality educational supplies that assist efficient instructing and studying outcomes,” the assertion added.