By Felix Khanoba
Determined to holistically address the growing learning crisis in Nigeria, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has commenced the training of 1,480 select teachers from rural and hard-to-reach schools across the country.
The training, which focuses on multigrade and mixed ability approaches to teaching, will have 40 participating teachers enlisted per state.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Abuja, on Monday, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, said one of the challenges bedevilling the UBE implementation in Nigeria is the inability of some learners to access quality education that translates to improved learning outcomes due to their location.
“In the rural and hard to reach areas, the provision of quality education is challenging as attracting and retaining qualified teachers is difficult and this causes parents/guardians to be less inclined in enrolling their children in school or be withdrawing them from school since their education needs are not met.
“The general outcry by stakeholders over the dearth of teaching staff in the rural and hard to reach schools attests to this fact,” he said.
Represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary, Technical, Prof. Bala Zakari, the UBEC boss said the commission initiated the capacity building programme on multigrade/mixed classroom pedagogies for teachers in the rural and hard-to-reach schools to equip them with skills for effective teaching and managing of learners at different levels or grade in class.
According to him, the exercise, demonstrates the commitment and interest of government at providing unfettered and quality basic education to every Nigerian child, notwithstanding their location and background.
“In a world where classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse and complex, it is essential for teachers to be equipped with strategies that will enable them effectively engage and support learners irrespective of their age, ability, Interest and socio-economic background.
Speaking on the multigrade and mixed ability teaching approach, Bobboyi said the method allows teachers to create inclusive and dynamic learning environments where every learner has the opportunity to thrive and succeed.
He expressed government’s commitment towards addressing whatever challenge facing effective teaching and learning, and to make all learners in Nigeria able to effectively compete with their contemporaries globally.
Earlier, the Director of Teacher Development at UBEC, Mr Mayowa Aleshin, said the training underscored the fact that government was addressing different challenges militating against effective teaching and learning in any location in the country.
“One of the solutions is the capacity building of teachers to arrest learning poverty in the schools in the Rural and Hard to Reach Areas and to ensure every child in school receives quality education,” he said.
While noting that the UBE programme ensures access is given to all irrespective of location, gender and social status, he said priority should be given to learners in the hard to reach and rural areas.
He further noted that if the problem of Out-of-school children must be addressed priority should be given to rural schools and opportunity to learners in the hard to reach areas to attain their maximum potentials through education.
On her part, the Director Basic Education at the Ministry of Education, Mrs Folake Olatunji-David, represented by Mr Adedekun Israel, challenges of limited resources, large class size with students of varying ages and abilities, require a special set of skills and approaches.
Olatunji-David noted that the training was designed to equip teachers with the tools and techniques they need to thrive in these demanding environments.
“Multigrade and mixed ability pedagogy offers a framework for effective teaching in classrooms with students of multiple age groups and varying learning abilities.
“By learning these strategies, our teachers will be better equipped to: Create engaging and differentiated lessons that cater for the diverse needs of their students.
“Foster a collaborative learning environment where students learn from and support each other and utilize innovative teaching methods and resources to maximize learning outcomes in resource-constrained settings,” she said.
