UBEC begins school-to-farm programme in schools

The Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr Hamid Bobboyi, on Tuesday in Kaduna State announced the introduction of the school-to-farm programme in basic schools.

This, Bobboyi said, was aimed at boosting the nation’s agriculture sector of the economy.

According to Bobboyi, the introduction is to inculcate practical agricultural skills in pupils in primary and junior secondary schools.

The UBEC boss made this known at a three-day workshop on the implementation framework of the programme in Kaduna.

Bobboyi, who was represented at the event by the Director, Administration and Supplies, Rev. Edwin Jarumai, noted that the programme would prepare the pupils for life-long learning in line with the commission’s mandate.

He added that over the years, the teaching of agriculture had been much of theory without practical, noting that the development left most learners ignorant of “what some of the agro-products look like, with no idea of how they are planted, harvested, processed or stored.”

Bobboyi added, “In view of this, UBEC has approved two per cent of the Universal Basic Education Grant for the school-to-farm programme to make agricultural science more practical at the basic education level.

“The objective is to provide learners with the requisite skills to stimulate self-employment, equip them with functional entrepreneurship and life skills, promote dignity of labour,  self-esteem and exposure to biological process of agriculture.”

The ES explained that the learners would be exposed to cultivation of farm produce such as maize, cassava, yam, guinea corn, and vegetables, as well as livestock like poultry, rabbit, snail and fisheries.