The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Ahmed Mohammed has stated that the federal government should hands off the basic education, but instead hand it to state government to handle.
The UBEC boss revealed this to the Senate Committee on Education, noting that the federal government has no business piloting primary education in the country.
Citing the apparent failure of the free primary education policy of the federal government which started about nine years ago, Dr Ahmed noted that “there are 80 per cent unqualified teachers employed in Sokoto and these teachers cannot read the books provided for them by UBEC.”
“How can such unqualified teachers impact the children” he asked.
He also noted that what the federal government is doing by establishing an institution such as UBEC, is for the agencies to serve as an intervention agency.
Dr Ahmed prayed that “God forbid that UBEC remains forever because if you have an intervention agencyand it remains forever, then it you (government) has failed”.
He also lamented that “states security votes, at local government level takes precedence over social welfare issues, education, health, water, sanitation at the local government level.”
The Senate Committee led by the chairman, Senator Uche Chukwumerije demanded to know how various funds received from the federal government had been spent.
The UBEC boss called for legislative reforms that will empower the regulatory agency to close down any substandard school and power that allows it to sanction states that that employs unqualified teachers.
