The Federal Ministry of Education (FMoE) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural (UNESCO) are to review the Annual School Census (ASC) tools and implementation manuals in line with global trends and the SDGs.
This was made known at a three-day workshop for relevant stakeholders in selected states and education sector to review of the ASC instrument and implementation manuals on Wednesday in Abuja.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Andrew David-Adejo, said “ASC helps the education sector by generating data on the number of schools by level, learners, staff, classrooms, books and facilities.”
David-Adejo, represented by Mr Zubairu Abdullahi, therefore, urged the participants to contributes towards producing a reviewed instruments and manual in line with global best practices.
” I look forward to the report of this workshop, especially as Nigeria really needs to improve on the credibility of data on Out-Of-School-Children,” he said.
He also expressed appreciation to UNESCO for their support in the education sector, especially in the conduct of ASC to ensure Nigeria has the appropriate tools to use.
Also, Mr Mamadou Lamine-Sow, Head of Education Sector, UNESCO Abuja Regional Office, said the exercise aim at collecting accurate, reliable and timely data from schools.
“It is the primary source of education data in any country. Data provides the statistical evidence for a majority if not all the education sector’s policies, plans, strategies, decisions and distribution of resources.
“One of the objectives of this workshop is to review our annual school census tools to be that 21st-century tool we all want it to be and to capture most of the SDG4 indicators.
“With this alone, there will not be anything like no data or blank spaces when it comes to reporting globally such as with UNESCO Institute for Statistics,” he said.
Lamine-Sow, represented by Mrs Ngozi Amanze, UNESCO’s National Program Officer, said they would also be reviewing the indicators for school health and child well-being to promote positive development and healthy behaviors in children.
“It is important that we strengthen the capacity of the school health system to provide conducive environment for physical, mental and social wellbeing of young people and to achieve SDG 4 and the health-related SDGs.
“Also, to prepare learners to thrive, learn and build healthy and peaceful sustainable futures for all,” he said.
He said the workshop would educate school heads and teachers on the new integrations to the ASC tools, reduce the complexity of completing the questionnaires and improve the understanding of the school administrators to efficiently complete the assignment.
He reiterated the commitment of UNESCO towards supporting the education system, adding that the workshop was part of UNESCO’s Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) Programme.
Also, Mr Adeleye Adeoye, Director, Educational Planning Research and Development (EPR &D), said the workshop will lead to the production of reviewed ASC Instruments and Manual for proper planning, decision making and policy implementation
Adeoye, represented by Mrs Olayiwola Jawon, added that it would also guide school Heads and EMIS Desk Officers in the school, to accurately complete the ASC questionnaires.
A participant, Prof. Toun Akinsolu, Federal Adviser, USAID Learn to Read, said the exercise would aide in having a credible and reliable data for educational planning, through the use of ASC, a reliable instrument.
” The review is apt because the society itself is dynamic and because of the dynamism of the society, we need to move with recent trends and emerging issues that is what necessitated this review.
” This is the second phase, the first phase was held in December 2022, we made a lot of inputs into all the various characteristics of the instrument so that we can make it more robust and holistic.
” So, that all data necessary for planning purposes and for educational reportage at the national level will be adequately captured,” she said.
She added that new policies like the National Reading Policy, National Language Policy, the revised National Policy on Education, teaching in mother tongue, early grade reading would be integrated into the ASC.
” At the end of this workshop, I believe we should have a clean copy of annual school census instrument, which the Federal Ministry of Education will now print and disseminate to other stakeholders for usage.
” Other development partners will leverage on the output of this meeting as far as educational data management system is concerned in Nigeria,” she said.
