DEPARTMENTAL SETTINGS/STATUTORY FUNCTIONS IN ASUBEB

DEPARTMENTAL SETTINGS/STATUTORY FUNCTIONS IN ASUBEB
ASUBEB, a parastatal of Abia State Ministry of Education is administered by an Executive Chairman who is the Chief Executive Officer. Every directive comes from the Executive Chairman in consultation with the Commissioners/ Board Secretary and other members of the board. Special Units such as the public Relations/ Internal Audit and Legal are also directly attached to the office of the Executive Chairman.
ASUBEB has eight (8) vital departments headed by Directors who are also the heads of the departments. These departments include:-
1. Planning Research and Statistics
2. Education Services
3. Administration
4. School Supervision
5. Social Mobilization
6. Science, Vocation & Technology
7. Finance and supplies
8. Manpower
The Planning/ Research and Statistics is further divided into different units such as:
1. Physical Planning
2. Strategic Planning
3. Research & Publication
4. Education Management Information system broken down into Statistics and computer.
FUNCTIONS OF PRS
(A) PHYSICAL PLANNING UNIT-
• Designing of standard UBE/ ETF Classroom blocks
• Coordinating with all contractors handling the building projects
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Management.
• Preparation of state annual rolling plan.
(B) STRATEGIC PLANNING UNIT.
• Preparing state rolling plan/annual budget
• Coordination of state and board budget and defence
• Coordination of action and rolling plans
• Interpretation and Utilization of Education data for planning
• Monitoring of activity plans and budget
(C) RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION UNIT.
• Conducting action research in related disciplines
• Collecting and collating basic education data in collaboration with EMIS
• Assisting in policy and ideological formulations
• Initiating research programmes and projects for future implementation
• Attending State/National seminars/workshop relating to Research.
• Publication of Research Results, UBE Digest and Annual Report
(D) EMIS (EDUCATION MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM UNIT:
• Collecting and collating basic education statistics
• Managing all computer resources
• Harmonizing and computerizing basic education data
• Processing, analyzing and interpretation of Education data
• Setting up and controlling of network management information within the board and between the board and Primary/Junior Secondary Schools.
(B) EDUCATION SERVICES:
This is further divided into:
(i) Special Education Unit
(ii) Nomadic Education and
(iii) UNICEF Unit
The activities and function of the above departments include:
1. Monitoring and supervision of schools on G & C and special education
2. . Meetings with Head Teachers of Nomadic schools
3. Meetings with LGA coordinators of G & C, UNICEF, Special Education and Nomadic Education.
4. Organizing intensive seminars/workshop for teachers, Head-teachers and Education officers
5. Coordinating the organization and administrative texts for primary schools
6. Tests for primary Schools, coordinating orientation services for all newly admitted pupils and transferred teachers
7. Coordinating career awareness weekly/ payments and prize giving day
8. Counseling and guiding staff/ parents, teachers and pupils on matters relating to moral and social well being
9. Coordinating the organization of school debates and quiz competition in primary and junior secondary schools
10. Monitoring teaching and learning activities to effect modern Special Education method skills.
11. Liaising between UNICEF office and ASUBEB through conferences
12. Representing ASUBEB in all National and State conferences, Seminars and workshops relating to Education services.
(C) ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT:
This is further spitted into various units such as:
(i) Establishment
(ii) Promotions
(iii) Pensions
(iv) Registry (Secret / Open)
(v) Transfers
(vi) File room and
(vii) Security
The activities/functions of this department is listed below:
(a) Monitoring of staff activities for both tutorial and non-tutorial staff
(b) Maintenance of staff list/retirement calendar
(c) Preparation of nominal roll and updating same
(d) Sourcing of circular letter and seeing to their implementation
(e) Holding monthly meetings with heads of personnel departments of the 17 LGEAs
(f) Coordination of appointments
(g) Producing and analyzing applications
(h) Staff induction and training programmes
(i) Staff training and development
(j) Promotion of staff of ASUBEB and those in the 17 LGEAs
(k) Collation, short listing and issuing of APER FORMS of promotable staff.
(l) Conducting promotion exams/interviews of promoted staff of ASUBEB and those of the 17 LGEAs
(m) Issuing of GEN 35 to all promoted staff
(n) Intra and inter LGEA transfers of teaching and non-teaching staff
(o) Collation and processing of pension papers and forwarding same
(p) Investigating and awaiting of Pension Records of ASUBEB and the 17 LGEAs
(q) Coordinating the preparation/storage and management of personnel information system including secret and open files of staff of ASUBEB and 17 LGEAs
(r) Data collection and analysis of personnel records
(s) Issuing of repair maintenance request order as well as supervising and maintenance of fault vehicles
(v) Keeping records of movement of persons and vehicles
(w) Coordinating the activities of security at ASUBEB
(x) Advising on security matters and writing weekly situation reports on security matters.
SCHOOL SUPERVISION DEPARTMENT: This department is made up of:
(i) Curriculum
(ii) Monitoring and
(iii) Library Unit
The activities and functions of this department include:
1. Supervision of all primary and junior secondary schools in the state
2. Monitoring reopening of primary and junior secondary schools in the state
3. • Collation of reports from LGEAs
4. Investigating reported cases from schools and LGEAs
5. Preparation of supervision schedules
6. Organize the athletics meet for primary and junior secondary schools
7. Organize the South-East primary/ junior school sports
8. Organize National competitions
9. Organize cultural carnivals/independent anniversary celebrations
10. Monitor schools to promote verbal and quantitative reasoning in schools
11. Provision of models and instructional material for schools
12. Monitoring schools to enforce proper implementation of the school time-table in primary and junior secondary schools.
13. Supply audio visual equipment, tables and chairs in primary/junior secondary schools
14. Carry out annual primary school reading/writing competitions
15. Inaugurate library clubs, and committees in schools/LGEAs
16. Carry out library workshops for teachers and library week at ASUBEB, LGEAs and primary schools.
17. Organize health talk and health education week in schools.
(E) SOCIAL MOBILIZATION DEPARTMENT:
This department comprises of 3 units vis-a-vis:
(i) Advocacy/sensitization
(ii) • HIV/AIDs and
(iii) Self-Help/World Bank Unit
This Social Mobilization department has among other functions created for the sake of Mobilization of all aspects of education activities which involves mostly advocacy, sensitization, and information dissemination.
Other methods of carrying out these functions are:
1. Organizing of workshops, house talk posting radio gingles and film shows for the awareness of both the parents/ children and communities in respect to their privileges and rights.
2. This department also organizes tours and visits with various community leaders, politician, churches/religious organizations and women leaders in order to encourage them to pay their counterpart funds towards World Bank-Self-Help project.
3. They also hold meetings with Education Secretaries/ and S/M Desk officers of the 17 LGEs
4. Organizing awareness campaign workshops/seminars on HIV/AIDS in conjunction with NGOs and International Organizations.
5. The department is also involved in monitoring and evaluation of Self-help initiative (World Bank Projects) and publicity on focus schools.
6. They are also involved in budgeting and writing of progress reports on mobilization activities in our primary and junior secondary schools.
(E) SVT SCIENCE VOCATION AND TECHNOLOGY:
This is made up of Science Vocation and Sports:
The basic functions and activities of SVT Department are:
1. Monitoring of pilot science schools
2. Organizing regular meetings of 17 LGEAs Science and Vocation Education supervisors
3. Coordination of the Jets Clubs and organizing Jet competitions/seminars for board staff and pupils
4. Organizing other competitions such as STAN MOBIL and Computer
5. Homec Exhibition and organizing of Mathematical Association of Nigeria (MAN) workshops.
(G) FINANCE:
This is made-up of A/C’s production. Reconciliation, Expenditure, Payroll, Stores
This is the oil that indicates other departments in the following ways:
1. Ensuring prompt and regular collection of funds from UBE, ETF, World Bank and the state government
2. Prompt capturing of receipts and payments in the necessary books of Accounts and safeguarding documents on financial matters.
3. Preparation of Bank reconciliation statements
4. Prompt and regular payment of teacher’s salaries/allowances
5. Conducting desk-payment of teaching and non-teaching staff salaries.
6. Drawing up and updating of Assets Registers and monitoring of Assets
7. Rendering returns on projects
8. Liaising with External, and internal Auditors on yearly accounts
9. Preparing bills and claims for payment
10. Funding of conference and various types of meetings
11. Production of periodic financial statements
12. Printing of Accounts and store documents
13. Preparation of cash flow statements
14. Preparation of cost of stores issue and procurement of store items
15. Conducting personnel audit
15. Closing of the books of accounts
16. Preparation of personnel emolument budget
17. Rendering of tax returns to BIR
18. Issuance of Tax receipts and clearance.
MAN-POWER DEPARTMENT:
This is made-up of:
1. Servicom and
2. Training Unit
FUNCTIONS/ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
1. The screening and employment of Federal teachers
2. The adoption and maintenance of the Servicom Unit of the board by liaising with the state Servicom
3. Capacity building and training of the Federal teachers.
COLLABORATION OF ASUBEB WITH NEEDS, SEEDS, LEEDS AND MDGs:
Needs, Seeds and Leeds are the National, State and Local Government economic empowerment development strategies. These strategies were geared towards the effective achievement of the Millennium development goals. ASUBEB as a pivot for universal basic education in the state recognized the fact that the above strategies cannot be achieved in isolation if not in collaboration with the above programmes.
The education sector has responsibility for producing and supplying the personnel required to propel and sustain the above initiatives. Example, the goals of wealth creation/ employment generation, poverty reduction and value orientation can be effectively pursued, attained and sustained only through efficient relevant and functional education system. Education is therefore critical to meeting the MDG goals set by NEEDS/ SEEDS and Leeds.
The priority sectors of NEEDS include Education, Agriculture, Communication, health and water, manufacturing and solid minerals, roads and power generation. The efficient implementation of the action plans such as policy direction and formulation, programmes planning and prioritization, target setting, resource sourcing, allocation and budgeting will
Certainly yield enviable reforming results such as good governance, public/official service delivery, private sector growth, profitability and sense of responsibility to the nation. This will also facilitate positive change in the civil society and increase productivity and social responsibility for the citizenry. Similarly the ABSEEDS in an alternative development plan to remove the inefficiency and structural imbalances in governance which has made government business clumsy and retarded growth in the private sector. The overriding policy thrust are poverty alleviation and sustainable economic growth through the re-definition of government role/ promotion of private sector led economy and sustenance of good governance through public sector reform, transparency and accountability. This is about entrenchment of values and confidence in the people of Abia State and attitude that encourages hard-work, protection of lives and property and sustainable development.
This attitude will ultimately create an enabling environment that will foster income generation, wealth creation/ employment generation and poverty reduction among teaming Abia populace. The above is virtually not achievable without consultations with stake holders in Education such as ASUBEB and others in Abia Economy.
ASUBEB again has been playing vital role as one of the government institutions mandated to carry out awareness campaigns to instill the virtues, hard-work/ honesty, selfless service, moral rectitude and patriotism to both the workforce and the general populace.
The stakeholders which include the whole of civil society also proactively mainstreamed gender HIV/AIDS and environment in all sectoral programming.
Nigeria was one of the 160 nations that signed the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) as was agreed at the United Nations Millennium Summit in Jointing in September/ 2000 by world Leaders. The MDG’S set clear targets for reducing poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women by 2015 with the following 8-focal points.
1. Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and women empowerment
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability and
8. Develop a global partnership for development
The question arises. How far have we met with the above earmarked goals in our collaboration? We can see that ASUBEB’s collaboration is quite visible in points nos. 2,3, 4, 5 and 6 as these are not easily achievable without the universal basic education.
However, Nigeria’s 2005 MDG’s report seems to negate these claims. Abia State being a microcosm of Nigeria is consequently still adversely affected inspite of the initial collaborated efforts. The relationship between poverty and education under MDG’s indicates that increasing poverty has negatively affected education over next decade.
Education is key to escaping poverty while poverty eradication is also key to enhancing education. Similarly, health and Education are interdependent.
The Millennium Development Goals matter a lot to Abia State and Nigeria as a whole because its framework integrates both NEEDS/ SEEDS and LEEDS. Since these goals offer is the means to accelerate the pace of development/ ASUBEB is therefore in full collaboration with other stakeholders in Abia State for the effective implementation of the stipulated strategies towards the achievement of these goals.
SOME EXECUTED MDGs PROJECTS”
1. Development of infrastructural facilities through construction and renovation of over 850 schools blocks in different LGAs in Abia State in order to achieve the Universal Basic Education by 2015.
2. Provision of furniture/ instructional materials. Library and computers in most of the schools for enhancing teaching and learning
3. Highly reduce gender disparity in primary/junior secondary schools in the state.
4. Increased access into primary/junior secondary schools in the state.
5. Intensified monitoring and evaluation of school activities through regular school inspection, rendition of reports and quarterly review of school activities
6. Payment of teachers salaries as and when due.