INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:
One
of the biggest challenges in planning and implementation of the Nigerian
Universal Basic Education programme is the dearth of authentic data and records
for planning and implementation. This has resulted in resource wastages as
facilities and other support services are concentrated in one area to the
detriments of other areas. This has been the case in the sitting of major
projects, establishment of new schools, posting of teaching and non-teaching
staff to schools and distribution of instructional materials. This has denied children access to quality basic
Education. As a result of the dearth of these essential data, allocations of
these materials are made without reference to any document. In an attempt to
curtail this ugly practices, UNICEF A field office Enugu introduced to states
in the zone the concept of geographic information system (GIS).
The instrument
is a scientific and technological tool used to locate the longitude and
latitude of schools in communities; The GIS records the geo-coordinates of
schools this makes room for referencing in the world map. This helps policy
makers to know the distribution of schools in any given area. This guides them
appropriately in taking further decision in the location and sitting of new
schools or other education facilities. It helps to check concentration of
education facilities in one area.
This
helps in effective allocation of educational materials, which also culminates
in effective and efficient utilization of scarce educational materials. It also
helps in effective service delivery as educational materials are equitable
allocated and the under-served school aged children are given opportunities to
benefit from quality education delivery.
In Ebonyi State, the process of
mapping the schools has taken off, with the assistance of UNICEF. In the light
of this, two major steps have been taken. They include:
1. Training of 30 state/LGEA EMIS/PRS
staffs on school mapping using the GPS.
2. A 2 –day training of 30
enumerators/data collectors and data input clerks on data collection and
processing.
These
training which was conducted using expert from ECODev consult from the
University of Calabar, have equipped the PRS staffs; the data input clerks and
the computer operators of the state and LGEAs with the necessary skills to
collect quality education data, for accurate processing, analysis and made them
user friendly for education policy makers’ usage.
By this, the state ministry of
education has been appropriately placed in vintage position to produce data and
present them in manners that could be interpreted and understood by
stakeholders in Education. This will help them take decisions which amongst
other things help in efficient utilization of educational resources, while
children of school aged enjoy access to quality basic education.
What is required of Education
stakeholders in Ebonyi State after the next levels of activities is to muster
the courage and political will to use the output of the process in the
management of education in the state.
Planned results:
1. Capacities of PRS staff in data management
enhanced
2. Capacities of data collectors in
collection of quality data enhanced.
3. Data input clerks acquire skills in
inputting, processing, interpretation and presentation of education data for stakeholders’
usage.
4. Synergy between the work of data input
clerks, and PRS staff created.
METHODOLOGY EMPLOYED
In a bid to ensure full
concentration of the participants in the training, the training venue was taken
out of the state capital to Abaomega in Onicha L.G.A, Ebonyi State. The participants in the two trainings
where fully accommodated in a hotel. They worked each day late into the night,
as the training was hands-on, activity based, and participatory. Each person
has a laptop which he/she manipulate in order to follow the guidance of the
experienced facilitators. This process actually produced the needed results.
ACHIEVEMENTS:
1. Framework for mapping and production of
state map on school locations put in process.
2. PRS, EMIS staffs and computer operators
have their skills and capabilities enhanced on the use of Microsoft Excel and
the arch GIS software in processing education data.
3. Data collectors now trained on data
collection especially the geo-coordinate system using the GPS.
4. PRS and EMIS staff now can process,
interpret and present education data in a form that is user friendly for
Education stakeholders.
Lessons learnt
1. Bureaucratic bottlenecks and red tepism
is a big challenge and hindrance to the implementation of innovative ideas that
can enhance implementation of quality basic Education.
2. Personal interest sometimes over rides
collective interest in the process of implementing government programmes
Challenges
1. Education stakeholders assumption of
full ownership of the programme
2. Lack of support by major stakeholders to
lend necessary supports to the process.
3. Lack of political will by stakeholders.
WAY FORWARD
1. UNICEF should appeal to the state
planning commission to closely monitor the process and report to the state
government officials that constitute
a clog in the implementation of the remaining stages.
2. Advocacy by UNICEF to top staff of the implementing
ministry for support to the programme.