By Elizabeth Ameh, Maiduguri.
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF)has trained 18,000 unqualified teachers in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States with support from Global Partnership on Education (GPE) Accelerated Fund intervention project to boost the standards of teaching in the region.
The training is a 12-month program, an initiative of the Nigerian government through the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Teachers Institute (NTI) and the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).
The UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office Phuong Nguyen stated this during a media chat with field trip organised to keep journalists informed on the achievements of Global Partnership for Education Accelerated Funding Project in Maiduguri.
UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office Phuong Nguyen
According to the UNICEF Chief only 29percent of Schools in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe have Teachers with minimum level of teaching qualification, while 56 percent of the children affected by the insurgency are not in school and the average ratio of pupil-teacher across the three States is 124 to one.
“About 1.9 million boys, girls, and youth affected by Conflict are without access to basic quality education in the region. This is inclusive 56 percent of all displaced children who are out of school. Nguyen said.
The Chief further observed that UNICEF and stakeholders are working to ensure that every child acquires education and skills that will help him or her contribute to the development of the Nation.
“At least 1 million girls and boys will benefit as these newly certified teachers return to their classrooms equipped with modern and effective teaching methods, including the skills to provide gender-sensitive and psychosocial support to learners.
”UNICEF is excited that we might finally be turning the tide against high dropout rate as well as facilitating access and retention of children in school. Millions more children will surely have better learning outcomes with a large cohort of motivated, trained, prepared, and equipped teachers in classrooms across the north-east.
“Other aspects of the GPE AF project also target improving access to education. Classrooms in at least 50 schools have been renovated and 50 temporary learning spaces constructed.Today, you will have the opportunity of visiting some of these schools, seeing and interacting with some of the newly certified teachers in action.
Executive Chairman SUBEB, Professor Bulama Kagu
She further added that over 500,000 children have been provided with learning materials , while capacity of 436 Education officials were strengthened on Education -in -emergency Leadership and result based planning and budgeting.
Earlier, the Executive Chairman Borno State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB)Professor Bulama Kagu, observed that the achievements of the Global Partnership for Education Accelerated Funding (AF) project will enhance the quality of learning for children in schools.
The Chairman highlighted some of the activities of the project to include distribution of learning materials, renovation of classrooms, construction of temporary learning spaces, capacity building for education officials, training programme for teachers especially on teaching at the right level (TaRL) and strengthening of SBMCs, as well as strengthening of EMIS.