The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has raised alarm regarding the poor secondary school enrollment rate in the northeast subregion, currently at a mere 15%, ranking it as the second lowest in the country.
Mohammed Goni Alkali, MD/CEO of NEDC, spoke at the weekend’s Accelerated Senior Secondary Education Programme (ASSEP) launch in Bauchi. He cited a number of issues facing the post-primary education sector, including JAMB UTME applications and admissions into tertiary institutions in 2019, where Northeastern students performed among the lowest in the nation.
The MD reported that the North East subregion has the lowest percentage of teachers (55% of those available) without literacy skills nationwide.
Goni continued, “Weak quality indices (infrastructure, personnel, and student disposition) and a wide demand/supply gap driven by economic and cultural factors are other challenges in the post-primary education segment.”
He went on to say that important factors influencing the development of human capital include the scope and caliber of post-primary education, which includes high completion rates and a solid secondary education.
He claims that the three main goals of the Accelerated Senior Secondary Education Programme (ASSEP) are to increase teacher quality, develop skills, and increase tertiary institution enrollment in order to raise the post-primary education rating throughout the Northeast.
The ASSEP Key Delivery Pillar, according to the NEDC MD, is to increase awareness of after-school programs and the opportunities for hardworking students to succeed and become well-known contributors to the NE Region and Nigeria.
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“The Accelerated Senior Secondary Education Programme (ASSEP) we have gathered here to launch today is an intervention focused on addressing a particular challenge in our region’s education system. It will provide effective support where the capacity of conventional schooling arrangements is limited for our teeming beneficiaries.
“As we embark on this critical mission today, we stand at a vital crossroads in our history that signifies our deep commitment to develop and support the children and youth of the North-East to grow, develop, and compete with the best across the world in various fields, excel and contribute to further development of our states, region, country, continent and humanity in the years and decades to come.
“We are here today for a landmark event in the history of our Region, the North-East. As modest as this occasion may be, we recognize that it marks the beginning of an opportunity to uplift the lives and livelihoods of our people, and indeed, their socio-cultural and economic position in years and decades to come,” he noted.
In addition to praising the federal government—and particularly the vice president—for their genuine interest in and dedication to human development in the Northeast, Dr. Goni asked state governments for their help in advancing the program.
According to Nation, ASSEP will place a special emphasis on communication and STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), which encourage creativity and critical thinking. These subjects also inspire and motivate young people to develop new technologies and ideas for learning through inquiry-based tasks.
The main features of ASSEP will be quiz competitions, virtual instruction, and teacher quality enhancements. Additionally, one ASSEP center in each of the 18 senatorial districts will be designated as a “NEDC Center of Excellence in Senior Secondary Education” and will organize and hold regular tutorials, particularly for students enrolled as candidates in the WAEC, NECO, and JAMB examinations.
The Accelerated Senior Secondary School Education Program (ASSAP) was introduced at Government House by Vice President and Senator Kashim Shettima.
