The Executive Secretary of the National Senior Secondary Education Commission, Dr Iyela Ajayi, has lamented that poor funding continues to hamper the commission from fulfilling its mandate of developing senior secondary schools across the country.
Speaking in an interview, Ajayi noted that despite the provisions of the NSSEC Act 2023 regarding funding, the commission was yet to receive the statutory two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund meant for the development of senior secondary education.
He said the inadequate funding had limited the commission’s capacity to effectively tackle challenges facing senior secondary schools, including infrastructure deficits, shortage of instructional materials, and gaps in human resource development.
The National Senior Secondary Education Commission is the regulatory body established to oversee and improve the quality of senior secondary education in Nigeria.
It was founded with the mandate to standardise, fund, and advise on critical areas at this pivotal level of education, serving as a bridge between basic and tertiary education, and preparing students for global competitiveness.
Ajayi said, “The NSSEC Act 2023 provides that the commission is to receive at least two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the development of senior secondary education in Nigeria. Part of this money is supposed to go to the states to develop their senior secondary schools.
“However, the commission has not received this money up to date. Comparatively, UBEC has been receiving the money since 2004 when it was established. The good news is that the present Minister of Education is doing everything possible to resolve the problem of the inadequate funding of NSSEC.”
To navigate the challenges posed by inadequate funding, Ajayi said the commission would intensify its efforts to partner with development agencies, donor organisations, the private sector and philanthropists to support senior secondary education through grants and other interventions.
“In particular, we intend to promote collaboration between the schools and the private sector. This collaboration will commence in three months.
“The commission will continue to provide adequate and basic infrastructures such as classrooms, laboratories, ICT labs, libraries, adequate furniture, elimination of social vices, provision of safety measures, promotion of STEM, vocational and entrepreneurship education,” he said.
Ajayi also emphasised the commission’s focus on enforcing minimum quality standards necessary for conducive teaching and learning in senior secondary schools.
He listed the standards to include the specified number of students per class, qualification of teachers, teacher-student ratio, quality and quantity of non-teaching staff, availability of staff offices, and adequate classroom sizes.
He added that the standards also include provision of laboratories, libraries, ICT rooms, toilets, administrative blocks, safety measures, as well as the availability and proper use of the approved curriculum.
Ajayi further stated that the commission would ensure the implementation of the four-year strategic plan for the development of senior secondary education, and enforce the implementation of the National Minimum Standards in all senior secondary schools from the next academic session.
He added that the NSSEC would also scale up the training and retraining of teachers and ensure the recruitment of adequate and qualified teaching staff across schools.
He assured that the commission was committed to positioning Nigeria’s senior secondary education as a model for sustainable development, aligned with global trends in entrepreneurship, science and technology.
He said, “The NSSEC aims to bridge the gap between basic and tertiary education, prepare students for global competitiveness, and produce graduates with academic qualifications and life skills.
“The commission focuses on policy formulation, funding, capacity building, quality assurance, and collaboration with stakeholders to promote innovation and excellence in senior secondary education.
“The NSSEC addresses challenges like infrastructural deficits, lack of instructional materials, and human resource development within senior secondary schools.
“It is structured as an inclusive body, bringing together expertise and representation from various stakeholders to drive the transformation of senior secondary education. It also monitors school performance, collects data, and ensures compliance with established standards.”
