By Philip Yatai

Dr Fatima Kera of the Faculty of Education, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has stressed the need for effective monitoring and evaluation of basic schools in Kaduna State to achieve success.

Kera made the call on Thursday in Kaduna, at the ongoing five-day training to develop the managerial capacity of 500 Head Teachers and other officials of basic education.

The training was organised by the Institute of Education, ABU Zaria, with funding from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

While taking the participants through module seven of the training manual on Monitoring School Effectiveness, Kera said that monitoring of school activities provides evidence of successes or otherwise in achieving set goals of basic education.

According to her, effective monitoring enables school leadership to properly allocate resources base on the needs which will improve the quality of teaching and learning.

She said that evaluation which involves an assessment mechanism within and at the end of a programme in the school system, was equally critical to attaining the goals and objectives of basic education.

“Evaluation provides feedback to school heads and teachers on work done; gives insight on future planning directions and reduces material and time wastages through past assessment.

“It also assists employers on students’ performance in schools, motivates staff and students to put more efforts at work, and provides parents with information on their wards in schools.

“This, in the long run will provide school’s heads with information on programme achievement within and at the end a programme or school activity,” she said.

Kera identified some of the characteristics of effective school system to include consistent lesson attendance by teachers, coverage of subject content, and high level of completion rate among pupils.

“Others are good relationships among stakeholders, teamwork between school management and teachers and good school community relationships,” she said.

Mr Mohammed Saleh, Education Secretary, Kaduna North Local Government Education Authority, commended the Institute of Education, ABU Zaria, and UBEC for organising the training.

Saleh said that the training would equip the head teachers with needed skills and capacity to effectively manage them and pupils under their care.