In a bit to improving education in Oyo State, the Better Education Service Delivery for All Additional Financing-Transforming Education Systems (BESDA AF-TESS) has taken a significant step in training 132 School-Based Management Committees (SBMC) on the management of school renovations and construction within their communities.
The training was meant for 33 schools comprising four members per school, including the SBMC chairmen; head teachers; women leaders; a member, making a total of 132 SBMC members.
Addressing committee members at the two-day training programme held at Providence Arena, Akobo, Ibadan, the Special Adviser to the Governor of Education Intervention, Suraj Tiamiyu, noted that the training was aimed at enhancing the quality of education in Oyo State.
He explained that the training focused on community-driven development approaches, which will enable the committee members to effectively manage school renovations and ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget.
He added that the initiative demonstrated the state government’s commitment to involving local communities in the decision-making process and ensuring that education infrastructure meets the needs of students and teachers alike.
“The SBMC members who are the community stakeholders, will support the government in monitoring and protecting infrastructure put in place by the Oyo government through the BESDA programme.
In his remarks, the project coordinator, Bamidele Odekunle, said the SMBC were the people being trained on how to manage the renovation of Schools.”
He clarified that the training is in line with the condition from global partnership for education, that the renovation should be handled via a community development approach.
According to him, the aims of the BESDA AF-TESS were to ensure equitable access to education by every child and each of them should be enrolled in school no matter the category.
“Also, the project intends to develop the pedagogical skills of the teachers by training them.
“More so, the renovation of the schools to make the atmosphere of the schools more conducive for teachers and students, ” he added.
One of the participants, Joseph Muyiwa, on behalf of the members, thanked the state government, World Bank for finding it worthy to carry the community members along in the renovating of the classroom in their community.
He said all the infrastructure facilities being put in place will aid learning of the children as well as improve the teaching ability of the teachers.
