By Ali Abbare .
On behalf of the parents, guardians, and the entire community of the UBEC Smart School Lafia, the School Based Management Committee (SBMC) wishes to express our deepest and most sincere gratitude to His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, and the Executive Chairman of the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB), Dr. Kassim Muhammad Kassim.
Your recent decision to approve the upgrading of our beloved UBEC Smart School Lafia to a Senior Secondary School has brought waves of relief and immense joy to our hearts.
This is not just a policy shift; it is a lifeline thrown to our children, securing their future and validating the hopes we placed in this innovative model of education.
For years, we have watched with pride as our children in the junior secondary classes experienced learning in a way many of us never dreamed possible.
The UBEC Smart School Lafia was conceived as a cornerstone of progress, transforming basic education by integrating technology into its very core. Our children were not just passive listeners; they became active creators and explorers.
Through multimedia learning, digital content creation studios, and specialized teacher training, their classrooms became interactive hubs of discovery. Subjects like mathematics and science, often seen as difficult, were made accessible and even fun.
They built robots, engaged with digital lessons, and developed skills that set them apart. We saw their confidence grow and their minds expand.
However, this pride was always tinged with a deep-seated fear. As our children in JSSIII approached the end of their basic education, a cloud of uncertainty hung over them. Where would they go?
The conventional senior secondary schools, while good, do not offer the same continuum of ICT-driven, hands-on learning that has become their normal. The foundation so brilliantly laid—the foundation in robotics, digital literacy, and innovative thinking—risked being left behind.
We feared this laudable educational model would be tragically truncated, leaving our children’s unique training incomplete. Our appeals were born of this anxiety, a desire to see the promise of the Smart School fully realized.
Therefore, Governor Sule’s prompt intervention is nothing short of heroic. By giving the approval for this upgrade, you have done more than build a new school section; you have built a bridge to the future for these young minds. You have affirmed that innovation in education is worth sustaining and investing in.
This decision is a significant step towards firmly integrating the Smart School model into the educational fabric of our state, ensuring it is not just a pilot project but a permanent, evolving part of how we teach our children.
Similarly, we commend Dr. Kassim Mohammed Kassim for his doggedness and unwavering commitment. His dedication to ensuring our children’s education remains a top priority has been evident at every turn, and this achievement stands as a testament to his resolve.
This upgrade is a monumental gain for Nasarawa State. It means we can now produce a complete generation of students nurtured from a young age in a technology-rich environment.
These students will be better prepared for the demands of the modern world, the job market of the future, and for further studies in science and technology fields. The Smart School can now serve as a true, full-cycle model for replication across Nigeria, showing what is possible when vision is matched with commitment.
Yet, as we celebrate this good news, we must also look ahead with practical eyes. A decision this good must be followed by swift action to ensure a seamless transition.
The most immediate and pressing challenge is the lack of adequate classroom space. The current beautiful classrooms are designed and sufficient for the existing Junior Secondary classes.
In just a few months, the current JSSIII students will write their Junior WAEC examinations and will hopefully step into Senior Secondary One. Where will they learn?
The first major test of this upgrade is, therefore, physical space. We can not have a senior secondary school without a dedicated classroom for these pioneers. The excitement of the upgrade will turn to disappointment if, come September, there is no proper place for these students to continue their journey.
This is why we earnestly and respectfully call on the Nasarawa State Government to consider, as a matter of extreme urgency, the construction of at least a single new block of classrooms.
This block would accommodate the fresh set of SSSI students, giving them a home that matches the quality of their education. It is a manageable but critical first step to translate this approval from paper into reality.
We, the SBMC, stand ready to offer our full support and cooperation in any way we can. Our commitment to the success of this school and the welfare of our children is total.
We urge all relevant agencies to move with speed so that the construction can begin immediately. Let there be no gap, no period of doubt. Let the transition from JSSIII to SSSI be as smooth and as inspiring as the education they have received so far.
Once again, thank you, Governor Abdullahi Sule. Thank you, Dr. Kassim Muhammad Kassim. You have listened to our concerns and acted decisively. You have given our children the priceless gift of continuity.
We now plead for the final piece: the prompt action to build the classrooms that will house the future you have just unlocked for them. Together, we can ensure that the bright flame of the Smart School Lafia burns even brighter, lighting the way for many generations to come.
Signed: Mr. Ali Abare(Chairman, SBMC, UBEC Smart School Lafia)
