Delta SUBEB Launches Statewide Campaign to Boost School Enrollment

The Delta State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), in partnership with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has launched a statewide school enrollment sensitisation campaign aimed at increasing enrollment and reducing the number of out-of-school children.

The campaign was flagged off on Tuesday in Asaba as part of efforts to expand access to quality basic education and ensure that no school-age child is left behind.

Speaking at the launch, SUBEB Chairman, Hon. Samuel Mariere, said the initiative, themed “Education for All is a Responsibility of All,” seeks to mobilise parents, guardians, traditional institutions, community leaders and other stakeholders to support school enrollment.

According to Mariere, special attention is being given to out-of-school children, girls, nomadic children, children living with disabilities and special needs, as well as adults seeking educational opportunities.

“No child should be left behind. Education is a right and every child deserves the opportunity to learn,” he declared.

He disclosed that the campaign will be replicated across the 25 local government areas through road walks, community engagements and grassroots awareness programmes ahead of the new academic session.

Mariere explained that the exercise will be driven mainly at the Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) level, adding that messages have been translated and recorded in multiple languages for wider reach.

He also announced that admission into public basic schools across Delta State has commenced, urging parents and guardians to take advantage of the free and compulsory education policy to enroll their children.

He highlighted ongoing interventions such as the School Improvement Grant (SIG) programme, which provides monthly financial support to schools to ease costs previously borne by parents and pupils.

Mariere further revealed that 14 schools have been selected under the Special Improvement Programme (SIP) for infrastructure upgrades in the first phase.
He noted that School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs), comprising artisans, traders, vigilante members, religious leaders and other stakeholders, have been strengthened to support school safety and pupil welfare.

On security, he assured parents that government remains committed to creating safer learning environments through perimeter fencing and other child protection measures.

Mariere added that reforms including continuous teacher training, extracurricular programmes and a biometric clock-in system for teachers are improving accountability, productivity and learning outcomes in public schools.

The Dean of Education Secretaries, Chief Rose Esiso, pledged the support of education secretaries across the state toward the success of the campaign.

The road walk attracted board members, education secretaries, school administrators, School-Based Management Committee members and other stakeholders.