President Tinubu Launches National Education Data System

President Bola Tinubu has approved new nationwide policies to improve the education sector, aimed at helping students learn new skills and to ensure children enroll in schools.

New policies are called DOTS (Data Repository, Out-of-School Children Education, Teacher Training & Development, and Skill Development & Acquisition), as per the official statement of the State House.

Special Adviser to the President Chief Ajuri Ngelale explained that the Data Repository will be a paucity of coordinated, verifiable, and authentic data on all aspects of the education sector in Nigeria.

The president has asked for a count of all schools in Nigeria, from primary to tertiary levels. This count will include information about the conditions of the schools such as their facilities and living arrangements, how close they are to each other and the educational infrastructure they have.

Furthermore, Tinubu has also asked for teachers' data, including their qualifications and training support received. There should be students' data available, showing their primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions, gender and exam grades.

Ngelale noted that this information will help to guide federal and state interventions for teachers' training and development alongside providing overall support.

In addition, out-of-school children's education and training policy is already being implemented through several government agencies as more than two million beneficiaries are getting additional training and education. However, the new nationwide policy will further enhance students' training.

As far as teachers' development and support are concerned, the Federal Ministry of Education plans to help and train teachers to use digital skills so they can use technology in classrooms. This effort aims to introduce technology and digital learning to both teachers and students across all levels of education.

Skill development and acquisition for all levels of policy will improve the variety of skills in the education sector, aiming to better prepare Nigerian students with the necessary skills, knowledge, and values for success in society.

The president has authorized the creation of the National Skills Framework, which is structured to offer the right skills at every educational level, aiming to empower generations of Nigerians with the abilities needed to meet the changing demands of the global economy in the 21st century.

Tinubu earlier this month signed the student loan bill into law, before highlighting the importance of education in getting rid of poverty.