The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has kicked off the training of 1,480 teachers selected from rural and hard-to-reach schools in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The training which focuses on the multigrade and mixed ability approaches to teaching will have 40 participating teachers enlisted per state, as part of efforts to tackle the growing learning crisis in the country.
At the ceremony in Abuja yesterday, 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 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 the 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 to effectively engage and support learners irrespective of their age, ability, interest and socio-economic background,” he said.
Earlier, the director of teacher development at UBEC, Mr Mayowa Aleshin, said the training underscored the fact that the 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 that 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.