Ebonyi State Government, at the weekend, launched a baseline assessment of primary schools across the State.
The baseline assessment is part of the effort by the present administration to turn around the educational fortune of the State as Governor David Umahi had before now declared a State of Emergency on the Education sector.
While declaring the inception workshop open, the chairman of the Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board, High Chief Hyacinth Ikpor, told participants that “the baseline assessment of primary schools will provide the Board and education stakeholders with data and analysis to support education sector planning and interventions”.
According to him, “the assessment will provide an important tool to achieve the high ambitions of Governor Umahi in the education sector of the state”.
In his speech, the State Commissioner for Education, Dr Sunday Nwangele declared that achieving the goals of quality education for all requires evidence-based policy formulation.
“We must also go beyond the provision of data and analysis to ensure that at least one or two of the key findings are effectively implemented,” he advised.
He thanked the implementers of the project, Technology for Transformative Development (TTD) and USAID State2State, the funders of the project for the partnership with the Ebonyi State Government.
Commenting on the goals of the baseline assessment, Ewah Otu Eleri, Executive Director of TTD, said that “the assessment will offer information and analysis on the state of learning by pupils, teacher capabilities and motivation, supervision and monitoring, the state of school infrastructure such as classrooms, school furniture, playgrounds, water and sanitation, as well as power supply”.
According to him, it will also provide information on community participation in school management, including the participation of parents and guardians in areas such as homework and ensuring adequate child nutrition”, He added.
The inception workshop was attended by key stakeholders such as the board of UBEB in the state, the Executive Secretaries of Education from all Local Government Areas as well as civil society organisations.
The baseline assessment of primary schools will be implemented by TTD in seven LGAs including Abakaliki, Afikpo South, Ebonyi, Ezza South, Ikwo, Ohaozara and Ohaukwu.
The project is funded by USAID and State2State Project in Ebonyi State.
