1-6-3-3-4 Education System: NCE Calls For Accelerated Disarticulation Of Junior, Secondary Schools

THE National Council on Education has called on the Federal and
State Governments to accelerate the process of disarticulation of
Junior and Senior Secondary Schools in line with the 1-6-3-3-4
National Policy on education.

It also urged the 36 States of the Federation and Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) to set up Task Force to enforce sanctions
on parents and guardians whose children or wards are on the streets
during school hours.

NCE is the highest policy making body in education in Nigeria.
The theme of the 2021 edition was “Eradicating Out-of-School
Children Phenomenon: A Tool for the Achievement of Education 2030
Agenda” and presided over by the Minister of Education Malam Adamu
Adamu.

While some states and schools owned by the Federal Government
have fully complied with the disarticulation policy of separating
Junior Secondary schools from the Senior Secondary schools, some
others have yet to implement the same for administrative
convenience.

To ensure compliance with the policy, the Federal Government has
even gone ahead to establish National Senior Secondary Education
Commission (NSSEC).

Some of the key resolutions at the 65th National Council on
Education, (NCE) which took place in Jalingo, Taraba State from the
9th to 13th of August, 2021, also centred on the provision of
security and safety in schools, especially in the wake of
consistent attacks and abductions of students and teachers.

The communique issued at the end of meeting and made available
to newsmen in Abuja by the Director, Press and Public Relations,
Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Ben Bem Goong, particularly urged
the Federal Ministry of Education, States and the FCT to provide
adequate security and protection for teachers and students in
tertiary institutions in the communities that are prone to
crises.

The Communique read in part: “The FME, States and the FCT to
organise advocacy and sensitisation programmes on the
implementation of Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) Laws and Policies
across the Federation.

“The FME, States and the FCT to domesticate Safe Schools
Declaration (SSD) Laws and Policies, appoint SSD Desk Officers and
organize capacity building programmes based on the peculiarities in
their domains;

“That FME, States and the FCT should accelerate the process of
disarticulation of Junior and Senior Secondary Schools in line with
the 1-6-3-3-4 National Policy on Education;

“The FME, States and the FCT should provide adequate
infrastructure and gender-friendly environment through partnership
with relevant stakeholders to advance gender equality in promoting
Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Subjects in
Senior Secondary Schools;

“States and the FCT should set up Task Force to enforce
sanctions on parents/guardians whose children/wards are on the
streets during school hours;

“The FME, States and the FCT to establish e-learning centres for
Out-of-School Children and ensure the use of Accelerated Basic
Education Curriculum (ABEC) at the centres;

“States, the FCT and Ministries of Water Resources should
complement the effort of the Universal Basic Education Commision,
(UBEC) in funding Water Sanitation and Hygiene, (WASH) programme in
all Basic Schools in Nigeria.”

THE National Council on Education has called on the Federal and
State Governments to accelerate the process of disarticulation of
Junior and Senior Secondary Schools in line with the 1-6-3-3-4
National Policy on education.

It also urged the 36 States of the Federation and Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) to set up Task Force to enforce sanctions
on parents and guardians whose children or wards are on the streets
during school hours.

NCE is the highest policy making body in education in Nigeria.
The theme of the 2021 edition was “Eradicating Out-of-School
Children Phenomenon: A Tool for the Achievement of Education 2030
Agenda” and presided over by the Minister of Education Malam Adamu
Adamu.

While some states and schools owned by the Federal Government
have fully complied with the disarticulation policy of separating
Junior Secondary schools from the Senior Secondary schools, some
others have yet to implement the same for administrative
convenience.

To ensure compliance with the policy, the Federal Government has
even gone ahead to establish National Senior Secondary Education
Commission (NSSEC).

Some of the key resolutions at the 65th National Council on
Education, (NCE) which took place in Jalingo, Taraba State from the
9th to 13th of August, 2021, also centred on the provision of
security and safety in schools, especially in the wake of
consistent attacks and abductions of students and teachers.

The communique issued at the end of meeting and made available
to newsmen in Abuja by the Director, Press and Public Relations,
Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Ben Bem Goong, particularly urged
the Federal Ministry of Education, States and the FCT to provide
adequate security and protection for teachers and students in
tertiary institutions in the communities that are prone to
crises.

The Communique read in part: “The FME, States and the FCT to
organise advocacy and sensitisation programmes on the
implementation of Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) Laws and Policies
across the Federation.

“The FME, States and the FCT to domesticate Safe Schools
Declaration (SSD) Laws and Policies, appoint SSD Desk Officers and
organize capacity building programmes based on the peculiarities in
their domains;

“That FME, States and the FCT should accelerate the process of
disarticulation of Junior and Senior Secondary Schools in line with
the 1-6-3-3-4 National Policy on Education;

“The FME, States and the FCT should provide adequate
infrastructure and gender-friendly environment through partnership
with relevant stakeholders to advance gender equality in promoting
Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Subjects in
Senior Secondary Schools;

“States and the FCT should set up Task Force to enforce
sanctions on parents/guardians whose children/wards are on the
streets during school hours;

“The FME, States and the FCT to establish e-learning centres for
Out-of-School Children and ensure the use of Accelerated Basic
Education Curriculum (ABEC) at the centres;

“States, the FCT and Ministries of Water Resources should
complement the effort of the Universal Basic Education Commision,
(UBEC) in funding Water Sanitation and Hygiene, (WASH) programme in
all Basic Schools in Nigeria.”