In its efforts to enhance the quality of teachers, the Kebbi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in collaboration with Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) on Monday commenced training of 100 Quality Assurance Officers.
Flagging-off the training in Birnin Kebbi, the Acting Executive Chairman, SUBEB, Alhaji Hassan Umar stressed the need for Kebbi to key into quality assurance scheme towards ensuring quality in its basic education system.
The training according to a press release by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor,Ahmed Idris, is the third phase of five-day capacity building workshop for the State and Local Government Quality Assurance Officers in Kebbi.
Umar said education was about input-output process, adding that quality assurance aimed at reviewing the input, including all the provision made into education sector and evaluate the output that comes out which covered quality of teaching and learning processes.
“The quality of teaching and learning process will now determine the quality of outcome which also refers to the achievements and standards of the learners we have. Therefore, we want to commend UBEC for spareheading this training.
“I also wish to commend my principal, His Excellency, Dr Nasir Idris for approving this meeting to hold in Kebbi State. The governor is posed to ensure that Kebbi achieve the SDG goals of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promotion of life-long opportunity for all.
“And the first step to achieve that, is to ensure that the quality of education is standardised especially at the basic level, as such, I have zeal for this training,” he noted.
The acting executive chairman encouraged the participants to be attentive as those who excel would be chosen to be among the SUBEB Quality Assurance Officers, while those who fell would be transfered to other departments.
“We must ensure your quality first of all, before we allow you to evaluate the quality of schools and schools leadership,” he assured.
In his speech, the Executive Secretary, UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboyi observed that being among the states to hold the third level training was an indication that Kebbi and its people had demonstrated strong political will towards providing a conducive environemt for teaching and learning to thrive.
Bobboyi, who was represented by Dr Iliyasu Hussain, said it was the third level and the last in the training circle approved by the commission, adding that in the next circle, they intend to have another set of quality assurance officers that would undergo similar process, three consecutive trainings.
He said it was the intention of UBEC managrment that at the end of “this intensive training, participants will come out more skilful and more knowledgeable to discharge their duties effectively, because quality learner outcomes are the intended and expected effects of the education system.”
He reminded the participants that both the state and federal governments had invested so much financial resources towards strengthening the capacity of monitoring officers in the basic education sector.
Earlier, the Director, Quality Assurance, UBEC, Malam Mansir Idris said the development of any nation was linked to the quality of education it provided to its citizenry over time.
The Director, represented by Malam Dauda Umar, observed that both the Commission and the Board count on “your expertise and wealth of experience gained in this series of training to accomplish the tasks ahead in order to bring about effective changes leading to whole school improvement and entrenchment of effective quality assurance system in the states.”