Stakeholders brainstorm on how to improve secondary education

Stakeholders brainstorm on how to improve secondary education

As part of efforts to improve innovation and practice in secondary education in Nigeria, Results for Development Institute (R4D) and The Education Partnership Centre (TEP Centre) recently held a convening of stakeholders in the secondary education. 

Held under the auspices of the Partnership to Strengthen Innovation and Practice in Secondary Education (PSIPSE), a funder collaborative that seeks to increase secondary education access and improve learning outcomes especially for girls and marginalized populations, the event brought together stakeholders and decision-makers engaged in the secondary education space in Nigeria to share knowledge and experiences, discuss best practices and innovation and encourage peer-to-peer collaboration.  

The aim of PSIPSE is to accelerate innovation in secondary education programming, research, and development in selected countries. It is led by a group of private donors and donor advisors, including ELMA Philanthropies, Human Dignity Foundation, Intel Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, MasterCard Foundation, and an anonymous donor. 

Speaking through a press release signed by the Public Relations Officer, Utibe Henshaw, technical sessions at the event held at Eko Hotels and Suites, focused on sharing knowledge on monitoring and evaluation, translating research into policy, strengthening the design of secondary education research, scaling projects and engaging policy makers. 

Addressing the challenges facing access to quality secondary education for girls and marginalised youth, Ms Kemi Williams, Keynote Speaker and Team Leader Human Development, DfID Nigeria,stated that the solution to removing barriers requires a comprehensive understanding of how these barriers interrelate, and a holistic approach to addressing them. 

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. MacJohn Nwaobiala, who was also at the event emphasized that education is a collective responsibility and that approaches which strengthen government and private sector collaboration can help improve the education system. 

On her part, Dr. Modupe Adefeso-Olateju, Managing Director of TEP Centre noted that well-designed and strategic public-private partnerships can address challenges which affect access, quality and equity in the Nigerian education education. 

In her remarks, Mrs. Fola Laoye, board member of Results for Development Institute (R4D) and Chairman Hygiea Nigeria, said that for the country to be truly competitive in a global economy, there is need to return to a merit-driven system. She also commended PSIPSE grant recipients for commitment to designing and implementing innovative secondary education projects.