The Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board (ODSUBEB) has reaffirmed its commitment to improving the quality of basic education through stronger community participation with the inauguration and orientation of newly elected State, Senatorial, and Local Government Education Area (LGEA) executives of the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC).

The event, held at St. James CAC Mega Primary School, Irowo, Akure, featured the official presentation of the Revised School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) Operational Documents, designed to enhance the effectiveness of SBMCs across the state in line with the current policies and guidelines of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

Delivering her address at the inauguration, the Permanent Secretary of ODSUBEB, Princess Abike Bayo-Ilawole, described the occasion as a significant milestone in the collective effort to strengthen community participation in the delivery of quality basic education in Ondo State.

The Permanent Secretary, in a statement signed by the Head, Media and Publicity, Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board, ODSUBEB, Mr Banjo Egunjobi, noted that the School-Based Management Committee remains one of the strongest links between schools and the communities they serve, emphasising that the commitment, transparency, and dedication of committee members are critical to improving access to education, promoting equity, and enhancing learning outcomes for every child.

According to the Permanent Secretary, the revised operational documents clearly define the roles, responsibilities, and operational procedures of SBMCs to ensure greater efficiency and accountability.

She encouraged participants to study the revised guidelines carefully, ask relevant questions during the orientation, and fully understand their responsibilities for effective implementation.

Princess Bayo-Ilawole charged the newly inaugurated executives to uphold the highest standards of integrity, accountability, transparency, and selfless service.

She urged them to provide purposeful leadership that promotes inclusive community participation, prudent management of school resources, effective school improvement planning, and sustained support for the enrolment, retention, and successful completion of basic education by every school-age child.

She also expressed concern over emerging social challenges confronting learners, including drug abuse, negative attitudes, and other harmful behaviours, stressing that SBMC executives must work closely with schools, parents, traditional institutions, religious bodies, and other stakeholders to address these issues and create a safe, supportive, and conducive learning environment.

The Permanent Secretary reiterated the Board’s determination to build a vibrant and high-performing SBMC structure that will serve as a model for other states across Nigeria.

“Your selection is a call to service and a unique opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the development of education in our dear state. I urge you to discharge your responsibilities with diligence, fairness, commitment, and dedication,” she said.

In his goodwill message, the Chairman of the Association of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria (AOPSHON), Ondo South Senatorial District, Comrade Babajide Adesina, described education as the greatest investment any nation can make in achieving sustainable development.

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Comrade Adesina observed that the government alone cannot provide all the resources required to achieve quality basic education.

According to him, the establishment of the School-Based Management Committee provides an effective platform for communities to actively participate in the planning, management, monitoring, and overall development of their schools.

In his presentation, the resource person, Professor Ayeni Adeolu John of the Department of Educational Management, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, highlighted the significance of the revised School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) Operational Documents, stressing that effective implementation of the guidelines would enhance community participation, strengthen school governance, improve accountability and transparency, and promote sustainable development in the basic education sector.

The newly inaugurated State Chairman of the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC), Dr. Olutayo Olujuyigbe, expressed appreciation to the Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board (ODSUBEB) for the confidence reposed in the committee members and assured the Board that they would discharge their responsibilities with dedication, integrity, and commitment.

He pledged that the committee would not fail in its mandate but would work diligently with relevant stakeholders to strengthen community participation and support the delivery of quality basic education across Ondo State.

Earlier, the Director of Social Mobilisation, Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board (ODSUBEB), Mrs. Olukemi Akinmoladun, urged the newly inaugurated State, Senatorial, and Local Government Education Area (LGEA) executives of the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) to strengthen collaboration among schools, parents, communities, traditional institutions, religious bodies, and government agencies.

Mrs. Akinmoladun emphasised that the Board expects the new executives to provide purposeful leadership that will promote community ownership of schools, improve accountability and transparency, increase learners’ enrolment and retention, and support the effective implementation of school improvement initiatives.

The inauguration and briefing marked another important step in ODSUBEB’s ongoing efforts to strengthen school governance, deepen community ownership of education, and improve learning outcomes for every child in Ondo State.