By Hassan Zaggi
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has expressed optimism that with strong determination, tenacity and dedication coupled with the support from the federal government and the needed advocacy, the eradication of illiteracy in Nigeria is achievable.
He stated this at a literacy roundtable discussion tagged: Literacy, teaching and learning in the Covid-19 crisis and beyond in Abuja, yesterday.
The Roundtable discussion was organised by the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and None Formal Education.
Adamu, however, applauded the leadership of the National Commission for Mass Literacy , Adult and Non Formal Education with other relevant stakeholders who are working assiduously towards the eradication of illiteracy in the country.
He noted that the recent COVID-19 crisis has built a strong reminder of the existing gap between policy discourse and reality.
According to him: “A gap that already existed in the pre-COVID-19 era is negatively affecting the learning of youth and adult. That has multiple disadvantages.
“During COVID-19, in many countries, adult literacy programmes were absent in the initial education response plans, so the majority of adult literacy programmes that did exist were suspended with just a few courses being done virtually through the TV and Radio or in open spaces.”
He, however, noted that based on the lessons learnt from the COVID-19 crisis, three key ideas aimed at reinventing teaching and learning of literacy have been retained for further reflection and action.
This, he reiterated, include building innovative and quality education as well as robust ICT structure to reduce the digital divide and ensure the continuity of meaningful learning and adult literacy during the COVID-19 and beyond.
“Two; promote the training of educators in distant education solution and ensure their professionalization so that they can adapt to different audience, context and environment.
“It is important to develop their capacities to use blended approaches to teaching and learning; three; to try and improve the financing of the resources necessary for youth and adult literacy, guaranteeing strategic, coordinate and effective responses from our country and all developing partners,” he said.
The Minister lamented that the COVID-19 crisis disrupted the learning process of children, young people and adult at an unprecedented state.
“It has also magnified the preexisting inequalities in access to meaningful literacy opportunities.
“Youth and adult literacy were not added in many initial response plans while many literacy programmes have been forced to halt their usual of operation.
“Even in the time of global crisis efforts have been made to find alternative ways to ensure the continuity of teaching and learning.
“Access to literacy learning opportunities, however, has not been evenly distributed,” he said.
Speaking earlier, a resource person, Dr. Awwalu Kawu, said that there is the need for the provision of Water Sanitation and Health (WASH) facilities in schools.
He insisted that the provision of water in school was important, hence, the government must develop the political will to ensure that happens.
“You cannot tell someone to wash his hands where there is no water. There must be water in the schools,” he stressed.
