A-CODE: MAKING GIANT STRIDES IN SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME

Parents in Nigeria, as in any other country around the world, want the best for their children. Most parents believe education is the answer to their children leading a more prosperous life.

But does it matter if education is supported by the government, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), or even a combination of both - Civil Society-Government Partnership (CGP)?

What is the role of the government in ensuring access to basic quality education?

There is no gainsaying that government alone cannot support education service effectively. It needs to encourage, build and strengthen synergistic partnership with the communities and CSOs to achieve the objective of Universality of Elementary Education.

In a bid to realize these objectives, the Enugu State Government through the Civil Society - Government Partnership (CGP), collaborated with the Agents of Communication and Development (A-CODE) and seven other CSOs, to work with Social Mobilization Officers at the Local Government Areas (LGAs) in establishing the School Based Management Committees (SBMC) which will spur community involvement in primary schools in the state.

The goal of the SBMC project is to give preeminence to strengthening community involvement in the administration of the primary schools so as to provide unfettered access for all children to free quantitative and functional education in tandem with the National Policy on Education and other relevant policies such as Education For All (EFA), Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Vision 20:20:20.

The SBMC, therefore, becomes a grassroots level body, empowered to play a pivotal role in enlisting community participation for education and bringing the community and schools closer to establish an interactive and effective school management system. This body is expected to assume leadership to inspire and influence community thinking and guide their decisions in favour of their children.

It is also envisaged to motivate the spirit of community ownership of schools and the education system to the extent of mobilizing community resources for school improvement.

Following the commencement of this project in 2010 and subsequently in 2013, the State government through the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB) mapped out over 400 primary schools in all the local governments in the state where they would be providing support for an improved primary school education.

A-CODE has shown a deeper commitment to the project by establishing, training and mentoring over 50 of such committees allotted to her in Nkanu-East and Oji-River LGAs.

With A-CODE bringing her experience to bear on the project, there has been significant positive changes in the areas of access and inclusive education provided to school age children, particularly people living with disabilities, who were not hitherto coming to school.

There is also a rapid increase in the enrollment of pupils. On the other hand, contractors who were assigned some projects in the schools have been made to be accountable through an increased monitoring, evaluation and maintenance of infrastructures.

Evidences from the field show more community participation in school governance. It is worth mentioning that through this partnership, an aggressive approach to teaching and learning at the primary levels has been achieved. This partnership has seen to the renovation, rehabilitation and construction of school buildings as well as provision of classroom furniture for both staff and pupils.

With the fulfilling results yielding from the project, the State government has prompted to scale up the project in about 700 primary schools. The SBMC project has shown great promise, building an atmosphere where the state and community are equal partners in the spread of quality elementary education.

Inasmuch as more improvements need to be made, there is no denying that the partnership has been effective. While the State government has lived up to the billing by providing part of the funds, the CSOs provided the expertise with technical support from Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN/DFID).

Delighted with the achievements recorded, and with a stronger resolve to consolidate this project, ESSPIN together with ENSUBEB, has gone ahead to provide financial support to A-CODE, as well as other CSOs, to also establish and train women and children committees.

Though women and children are part of the SBMC, ESSPIN believes that a separate committee for them would ensure greater voice, and achievements; seeing the gains that comes from engaging more with the women and children.