Sarah NEGEDU
The Federal Capital Territory Administration has begun issuance of accreditation certificates to Public and Private Schools as part of its quality assessment tool for gauging the schools’ performance.
The Secretary of the Education Secretariat, Sani Dahir El-katuzu, while presenting the certificates to administrative heads of select schools in the territory, urged them to continue to comply with its accreditation process.
He pleaded with school proprietors not to view the charges been paid for the accreditation as an unnecessary burden, adding that Education is a partnership and a responsibility of all.
He explained that the stipends is to ensure that both partners participate effectively in their respective responsibilities in carrying out their various objectives.
In his words the secretary said, “We hope proprietors do not consider this charges as double taxation or unnecessary burden.
“It is worthy of note that the efforts made by private proprietors of schools in complementing government desire in providing education to the teeming populace of Federal Capital Territory is not in vain.”
In her welcome address, Acting Dirctor, Department of Quality Assurance, Mrs Magdalene Uzoanya said accreditation is a Quality Assurance Instrument that assesses the mission, goals, resource availability, performance and effectiveness of schools vis-Ã -vis the FCT Guidelines on the Establishment and Operation of Educational Institutions and National Minimum Standards.
Uzoanya explained that, “it involves the use of experienced educationists to ensure professionalism, transparency and credibility of the exercise. The use of this calibre of evaluators is to facilitate strict adherence to the required minimum standards.
According to the Acting Director, “In the last exercise 72 schools were visited during the exercise, 62 schools met up with 67percent and above in all the four thematic areas to get full accreditation.”
She further said six schools failed to score 67percent in one of the four thematic areas and got provisional accreditation. Four schools failed to score 67percent in two or more of the four thematic areas and were denied accreditation.
“Schools that avail themselves of the opportunity of accreditation not only impact positively on their students’ performance but also derive sustained continuous improvement and maintenance of standards to meet the strict
standards.
This, she said are in line with the new quality assurance model of the Education Secretariat which seeks to ensure that global best practices are entrenched to bring about improvement in teaching and learning and also deliver high quality education to every Nigerian child. Worthy of note is Blended or Hybrid Learning which is a strategy to bridge the gap created by the CoVID-19 Pandemic which affected education and indeed other sectors of the economy.
She reminded them that, the fact that the Department of Quality Assurance is vested with the responsibility of regulating the activities of all private schools in the FCT and requires all private schools in operation to be faithful in meeting their obligations of promptly paying the stipulated Annual Dues each school is expected to pay.”
Responding on behalf of the accreditated schools, Notre Dame Girls Academy, like said, it is heartwarming to be accredited by the education body where they operate to enable them continue to improve and maintain the education standard as expected expressing their appreciation to the Education of FCT Administration pledging their commitment to impact positively.
