The Federal Government on Monday unveiled two new national education policies, shifting the sector’s focus from policy formulation to practical implementation.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, at the unveiling of the documents in Abuja, said the ministry had adopted an 80 per cent implementation and 20 per cent policy development model in line with international standards.
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE reports that the policies include the National Teachers’ Policy and the Drug and Substance Abuse in Schools Policy
Alausa said “The first of the three policies presented is the National Teachers’ Policy alongside its implementation guidelines.
On the National Teachers Policy, Alausa said “the policy is designed to strengthen teacher quality, upgrade competencies and improve professional development.”
Alausa said the government had accelerated the digitalisation of teacher training programmes and would soon launch a digital platform for continuous professional development.
He said the government was working to ensure Teacher Registration Council licensing for all public school teachers to produce the best students.
The minister said the second policy document on Drug and Substance Abuse in Schools was meant to addresses the rising rate of drug and substance abuse among students in secondary schools and tertiary institutions.
“This is the first time Nigeria is developing a national policy and implementation guideline on drug abuse in schools,” the minister said.
He said the policy incorporated counselling and behavioural support but affirmed that the government would not hesitate to punish repeat offenders.
Alausa said, “We must protect our youth. Addiction destroys lives, and President Bola Tinubu believes strongly in the capacity of Nigerian.”
Nigeria’s education reforms must now translate into measurable outcomes across all states, adding that the policies would either improve existing ones or address areas where no policy previously existed.
According to him, policy is just 10 per cent of the work, adding, “implementation is the heart of what we do and the Commissioners will drive this work, while the federal government will provide the technical support and resources required.
