Raising pupil achievement through school improvement: a practice-based approach

t is widely acknowledged that the public provision of basic education in Nigeria is in a state of crisis. Widespread systemic failure has resulted in schools which are unable to develop literate, numerate, self-reliant pupils. It is clear that there is no ‘quick fix’ which will turn this round as the sector, including pre- and in-service teacher education institutions and systems, is fragmented and dysfunctional, and there is little demonstrable inclination to change. Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria’s (ESSPIN) school improvement work sits squarely within its overall education sector reform agenda in Enugu, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara and Lagos states. Its specific approach puts the transformation of the school at the centre of the change process. The reform of practice in the management and delivery of basic education in schools leads the way, and this in turn informs policy reform. School improvement approaches include a wide range of interconnected interventions which are all directed towards raising the levels of pupil achievement. Much of this work involves strengthening school-level capacity through training workshops, in-school support and follow up. This process has been led by the State School Improvement Teams (SSIT); small teams of carefully selected, committed education professionals who ‘belong’ to the individual states and work full time to address the many challenges of improving Nigeria’s schools.