School Based Management Committee (SBMC) is a concept which is drawn from the recognition of the fact that communities become more committed to their schools if they have prominent voice in school planning, management, monitoring and evaluation of performance and ensure quality output. Community involvement helps to ensure more effective and equitable utilization of school resources and funds generation.
Committees with a wide range of local expertise increase the management capacity of the Head Teachers/Principals.
Women and students could have a greater say in the management of their own schools, thereby stimulating increased enrolment rate, retention rate, completion rate and ensure quality service delivery.
The SBMC is essential in promoting good governance and accountability; no doubt, they ease state burden if effectively supported to function maximally. The emphasis on School Based Management Committee is a global trend that emerged in the early 1980s. In Nigeria, it could not have come at a better time than now that our public schools are in shamble and academic down turn has reached lowest ebb.
The 52nd National Council of Education (NCE) considered the rationale and relevance of SBMC for effective school governance and management at the community level and approved the introduction of this concept in Nigeria. At the 54th NCE meeting, Council further directed the setting up of SBMC in all schools in the federation without delay. It should also be noted that at the last extraordinary meeting of the National Council of Education held in Abuja on 16th April, 2009, the Honourable Minister of Education enjoined the Principals of Federal Unity Colleges to go back and establish the SBMC in their schools with immediate effect, where they had not already done so.
For School Based Management Committee to function effectively, the existing school structures have to be sufficiently effective, efficient and participatory. The Head Teacher/Principal who should be the one to constitute SBMC in his/her school must be well informed. The Chairman of the Committee and its members have to be properly guided too. The need to create a uniform system of operating SBMC activities informed the revision of these guidelines and spurred the production of this manual.
In the 14 years of the existence of the SBMC in FUCs, the following among other achievements were recorded:
- Conflict resolutions
- Settlement of matters on Land encroachment
- Fostering healthy relationship between the Colleges and the host communities
- Capacity building of both staff and students
- Effective handling of students’ disciplinary issues and mediating in staff matters that would have disrupted school activities
- Mobilization of complimentary funds to provide facilities like boreholes, ceiling fans, renovation of structures from and not limited; old students, philanthropists, constituency projects etc.
- Support school activities and programmes by proffering solutions and physical attendance
- Launching of development funds for specific projects
- Development of Whole School Development Plan
The Senior Secondary Education Department of the Ministry had for years instituted Annual Awards for Colleges who are consistent in SBMC practices at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Principals of FUCs to encourage the Colleges.
Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad,
Honourable Minister of State for Education,
February, 2025.
