The Federal Government and Lagos State Government have stressed the need for effective implementation of policies in the education sector to enhance maximum quality.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Andrew Adejo, and Lagos State Government made the remark on Monday, during the 67th National Council on Education (NCE) Meeting, themed; “Addressing the Challenges of Policy Implementation: A Panacea for the Achievement of Education 2030 Agenda,” held in Ikeja, Lagos.
Adejo, who was represented by Mrs Obianuju Anigbogu, the Director, Educational Planning, Research and Development (EPR&D), Federal Ministry of Education, said, “The theme ”Addressing the Challenges of Policy Implementation: A Panacea for the Achievement of Education 2030 Agenda”. is apt in view of the fact that our policies are usually well-crafted, but are faced with ineffective implementation.”
The permanent secretary said that the educational policies faced delay and lack of regular review to reflect national needs and aspirations, lack of consistent monitoring and evaluation to checkmate policy implementation.
According to him, ”When policies that guide a nation are not implemented at the appropriate time the consequences are backwardness, under development, unemployment for graduates, poverty, insecurity, etc.
”However, in order to tackle the challenges of policy implementation all hands must be on deck.
“Over the years, successive governments have been confronted with numerous challenges which majorly centres on the paucity of funds for funding education programmes and activities.”
Adejo, however, said that both the Federal Government and many state governments had began to prioritise funding education, as witnessed in the budget estimates, already before the National Assembly and some state governments.
He expressed the hope that other states would also emulate such budgetary examples for the good of the nation.
Adejo continued, ”It is not enough to have adequate funds to show positive improvement in our education sector, we must all commit to putting in our best to ensure that programmes are delivered appropriately to reach the desired beneficiaries.
”To make policies more concrete and valuable, policy implementers; curriculum planners; curriculum developers and policy-makers must imbibe realistic policies that the country’s education makes them less dependent on others for survival by analysing reliable factors that obstruct or accelerate the implementation process.
”Effective monitoring and evaluation of National Council on Education (NCE) Decisions has also been identified as a game-changer in actualising policies, this will not only make our educational system functional but globally competitive,” he said.
Adejo, also urged stakeholders to make meaningful contributions that would proffer possible ways of addressing the challenges facing effective policy implementation in the education sector and also push the sector towards the achievement of Education 2030 Agenda.
Also speaking, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said that the NCE was a major stakeholders’ forum designed to brainstorm and collectively articulate ideas, towards improving education service delivery of the country.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by Mr Jamiu Alli-Balogun, the Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, charged educators in the education sector to ensure they turn out graduates who are fit for the labour market.
”As we jointly deliberate on critical issues pertaining to the educational development of our children with the intention of proffering lasting solutions to identified problems.
”I seize this opportunity to remind us all, either as career professionals or elected officials to expand our thoughts and strive to produce self-reliant youths through our educational system.
”We must re-engineer and reposition our education policy-making and implementation strategy to deliver graduate students who will blend with the labour market demand.
”It is in pursuit of this goal, that, we are here gathered as stakeholders to exchange ideas and agree on some proposed reforms,” he said.