The Executive Secretary National Senior Secondary Education Commission NSSEC has appealed to the Federal Government to include the NSSEC Gazette Act 23, (two per cent consolidated revenue fund) in the 2024 Budget.
A statement by the commission on Wednesday said that its Executive Secretary, Dr Iyela Ajayi, made the call recently, during his working visit to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, Senator Lawal Usman, and the Chairman Committee on Education (Basic and Services), Mr Mark Useini, in their respective offices at the National Assembly Complex Abuja.
Ajayi said the two per cent consolidated revenue fund was to enable access to the funds required for the repositioning of senior secondary education in the country.
The statement disclosed that the commission, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, was working towards producing the final draft of the National Policy on Senior Secondary Education, which he said, would help to invigorate the senior secondary education sub-sector.
Ajayi added that the commission had commenced the critique of the minimum standard document by different stakeholders, which would be accepted by all after scrutiny as a document for the minimum standard in that sub-sector.
He made a compassionate appeal that for the commission to achieve its mandate of revitalising senior secondary education to meet global standards, there was a need for proper funding of NSSEC in line with budgetary allocation.
Ajayi said, “This will enable the commission to embark on some crucial assignments such as; carrying out a detailed needs assessment in schools in the various states, updating the database of the senior secondary schools and capacity development of teachers which has been grossly hindered as a result of inadequate funding.”
Speaking also, the Chairman Senate Committee on Basic and Secondary Education, Senator Lawal Adamu, said the Committee would ensure proper consideration of adequate funding of the commission.