The National Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) has urged the Federal Government to restore parents’ representation in the decision-making structures of key education agencies, arguing that their exclusion has weakened stakeholder participation in policies affecting students and families.
Speaking in an interview Monitored by The News Chronicle on Thursday, the National President of NAPTAN, Haruna Danjuma, said the association is seeking institutionalised representation for parents on the governing boards and policy consultation platforms of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO), the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), and the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB).
According to Danjuma, parents are critical stakeholders in Nigeria’s education system and should have a formal role in shaping policies that directly impact their children.
“Parents are major stakeholders and cannot be sidelined in decisions that affect our children,” he said.
Danjuma explained that the demand is rooted in a long-standing tradition of parent participation in education governance, noting that NAPTAN previously held statutory representation on the boards of major education agencies.
He recalled that during the tenure of the late Alhaji Babs Animashaun, the founder and first National President of the association, PTA/NAPTAN had automatic representation on the governing bodies of institutions such as WAEC, UBEC, and NABTEB.
The NAPTAN president argued that restoring parents to these decision-making platforms would strengthen transparency, improve policy implementation, and ensure that the concerns of families are adequately reflected in the country’s education system.
He called on the Federal Government to reinstate the association’s representation in relevant education agencies to promote inclusive governance and enhance collaboration among policymakers, schools, teachers, and parents.
