Delta SUBEB Launches Statewide Enrollment Drive, Targets Every Out-of-School Child

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 bringing thousands of out-of-school children back into classrooms across the state.

The campaign, which was flagged off in Asaba on Tuesday, is part of renewed efforts by the Delta State Government to expand access to quality basic education and ensure that no school-age child is denied the opportunity to learn.

Speaking at the launch, Executive Chairman of Delta SUBEB, 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, particularly among vulnerable groups.

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.

The SUBEB chairman disclosed that the sensitisation campaign would be replicated across the 25 local government areas of Delta State through road walks, community engagements and grassroots awareness programmes designed to encourage enrollment ahead of the new academic session.

He explained that the exercise would be driven largely at the Local Government Education Authority (LGEA) level to ensure direct engagement with communities, adding that awareness messages have already been translated and recorded in multiple languages to reach a wider audience.

“We are taking this message directly to the grassroots and in languages people understand to ensure maximum impact and participation,” Mariere said.

He further announced that admission into public basic schools across Delta State has officially commenced, urging parents and guardians to take advantage of the free and compulsory education policy by enrolling eligible children without delay.

Mariere highlighted several ongoing interventions aimed at improving learning conditions, including the School Improvement Grant (SIG) programme, which provides monthly financial support to schools to reduce costs previously borne by parents and pupils.

He also revealed that 14 schools have been selected under the Special Improvement Programme (SIP) for infrastructure upgrades in the first phase of implementation.

The chairman noted that community participation in school management has been strengthened through School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs), comprising artisans, traders, vigilante members, religious leaders and other stakeholders who help protect school facilities and support 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 said recent reforms introduced by the board, including continuous teacher training programmes, extracurricular learning initiatives and the biometric clock-in system for teachers, are already improving accountability, teacher productivity and learning outcomes across public schools.

“The biometric system is strengthening accountability and improving teacher effectiveness in our schools,” he stated.

He added that the reforms align with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s MORE Agenda, particularly in the areas of educational access, infrastructure development, teacher effectiveness and improved learning outcomes.

In her remarks, Dean of Education Secretaries, Chief Rose Esiso, pledged the support of education secretaries across the state toward ensuring the success of the campaign.

“We will work at the grassroots to ensure this campaign achieves its purpose and reaches every community,” she assured.

The road walk attracted board members, education secretaries, school administrators, School-Based Management Committee members and other stakeholders committed to advancing basic education across Delta State.