ENSUBEB Enugu State has been selected among the other thirteen states in the federation to benefit from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Early Grade Reading Result Based Financing Program in the country.
*Already, ENSUBEB, on behalf of the State Government, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Universal Basic Education Commission Abuja for the full implementation of the program initiated to address the challenges of poor literacy outcomes among learners in Nigeria, particularly primary 1-2 pupils.*
*The Executive Chairman of Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB) Assoc. Prof. Hyginus Banko Okibe, who disclosed this when he received the Deputy Director Teachers Professional Development (UBEC) office in Abuja, described the program as a welcome development, well thought out, and planned to address some basic problems facing pupils at the early stage in their academic career.*
*Assoc Prof. Okibe noted with satisfaction that Enugu was among the states in the country selected to benefit from the program and pledged that the Board would spare no effort to ensure its full implementation for the betterment of our learners in the state.*
*He said that the Board would continue to partner with UBEC in all its education programs designed to enhance teaching and learning, improve the quality of education, and also address the issue of out-of-school among the youth in the state.*
*The ENSUBEB Boss explained that the state Governor, His Excellency Dr. Peter Mbah has already initiated programs to address the problem of out of schools to reverse the trend, and also tackle other challenges facing learners in the state with the introduction of SMART Schools and investing huge sums of money in the education sector.*
*In her speech, the Deputy Director (TPD) UBEC, Ada Ogwuche, commended the Enugu State Government for its special interest in the promotion of basic education in the state with the establishment of SMART Schools in all the electoral wards.*
*Ogwuche explained that the program focuses on building foundational reading skills, critical for academic success and lifelong learning, recognizing that early literacy significantly impacts overall education quality.*
*She outlined the objectives of the program to include, improving the foundational reading outcome of primary 1-2 pupils through targeted interventions, institutionalizing best practices in early-grade literacy instructions, and establishing a sustainable financing mechanism that ties funding to measurable results.*
*According to her, the program will clarify the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders at various levels, including benefitting states, communities,ies, and schools and strengthening community and parental engagement in early-grade early-grade reading.*
*She stated that the Early Grade Reading program aims at getting it right at the foundation level and stimulating pupils' reading culture by establishing reading corners and called for teamwork and the support of stakeholders, including NGOs, community-based organizations, and Head Teachers in schools for better results.*
*During its implementation the program will adopt a Result Based Financing (RBF) model which ensures accountability and emphasizes measurable progress ultimately aiming to institutionalize effective literacy practices across the education system.*
*It is expected that sixty public primary schools in the state will be involved in the pilot stage of the program.*
