In the Northeast of Nigeria, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has successfully trained 18,000 unqualified teachers through the aid of the Global Partnership on Education (GPE) Accelerated Fund Intervention project that began in 2021. The training which lasted twelve months was an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Teachers Institute (NTI) and the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) under the Federal Government of Nigeria. UNICEF fueled its focus on encouragement of unqualified teachers to study and pass the qualifying examination of the TRCN.
UNICEF’s Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Ms. Phuong Nguyen, at a media dialogue organized by the Child Rights Information Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in conjunction with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in Maiduguri, stated that there was induction and licensure of teachers across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. Aside from teachers, students also enjoyed the benefits of the program as there was provision of learning materials for over 500,000 children.
Children deserve to be equipped with survival skills.
He added that 438 education officials have had their capacity strengthened on education in emergency, budgeting and result-based planning. UNICEF and stakeholders have not relented in addressing challenges of out-of-school children and the learning crises that are present in the education sector. The essence of addressing these issues is to ensure that every child gets eligible for opportunities offered by education and is well equipped with skills for survival and positive contribution to the society.
The teachers training program of the GPE’s Accelerated Funding (AF) project is considered a major accomplishment. This is because not less than one million boys and girls would be beneficiaries of the teachers’ training when the newly certified teachers returned to their duty posts fully equipped with effective and modern methods of teaching. Nguyen explained that the modern methods of teaching majorly include skills that aid provision of gender-sensitive and psychosocial support to learners and students.
Almost half of schools in the Northeast need rehabilitation.
Nguyen refused to exclude the excitement of UNICEF as the teachers’ training might eventually be a new dawn for education in Nigeria, reducing high school dropout rates while facilitating access and retention of children in school. With a large cohort of well-motivated, prepared, trained and equipped teachers across the Northeast geopolitical zone, many millions of children are likely to have better outcomes of learning. In 2022, prior to the initiation of the project, only 29 percent of schools located in the Northeast zone employed teachers with the minimum qualifications, with the average pupil-teacher ratio of 124 to 1.
Another issue of concern is the need for rehabilitation of almost half of the schools in the region. In Borno, only 47 percent of schools have furniture; in Yobe, 32 percent; and Adamawa, 26 percent. Access to adequate learning materials is also low in these states with 30 percent of schools in Adamawa; 26 percent in Borno; and 25 percent in Yobe. Also, almost 2 million boys, girls are affected by the conflict lack of access to basic and quality education.
Intervention has suppressed partial devastation in the region.
The Executive Chairman of Borno State Universal Basic Education Board, Prof. Bulama Kagu, applauded the intervention for its contribution in reducing the huge devastation challenging the region. He also commended the initiatives for the renovation of classrooms, construction of temporary learning centers, training of teachers in psychosocial support and provision of instructional materials. Provision of furniture is covered by the government through grant intervention, bearing the loss of burnt down schools by insurgents. The chairman affirmed that education has been effectively enhanced within a short period and the region looked forward to more enhancements.
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GPE progresses in Northeast Nigeria – 18,000 teachers in the Northeast region have been trained by UNICEF. – Express your point of view.
GPE progresses in Northeast Nigeria. The UNICEF are really trying for Nigeria on their contribution. They have done well for us
The training of unqualified teacher which lasted twelve months was a great initiative. Weldon Federal Ministry of Education for initiative that was anchored by UNICEF.
The goal of resolving these problems is to provide every child a fair shot at a good life and the tools to make a positive impact on society through education.
Wow this is a good thing our teachers been training to ensure improvement in our education, the trained teachers will be able to teach and train the student well now their knowledge is been upgrade
UNICEF and other partners have continued to address the education sector’s learning issues and the plight of children who are not in school.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) redirected its efforts to encourage inexperienced teachers to study for and succeed in the Teacher Registration and Certification Network qualifying examination.
Students, in addition to instructors, reaped the benefits of the program, which included the distribution of a variety of educational resources to a large number of children.
The goal of resolving these problems is to provide every child a fair shot at a good life and the tools to make a positive impact on society through education.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other stakeholders have not ceased their efforts to solve the issues posed by children who are not in school as well as the learning crises that are occurring in the education system.
UNICEF’s efforts are now focused on helping inexperienced instructors pass the Teacher Registration and Certification Network’s qualification exam.
Education has been significantly improved in a relatively short amount of time, and the area anticipated further improvements in the near future.
The government, through grant assistance, compensates for the loss of equipment by carrying the cost of furnishing schools that have been burned down by rebels.
Kudos to the UNICEF for the effort put towards improving the education sector. It would be better, if the gov’t gives it support(all ramifications) to the proposed.
The great initiative taken by the Federal ministry of Education has allowed for the training of unqualified teacher numbering to about 18,000 by UNICEF. This will give room for more qualified teachers in our country.
UNICEF deserves praise for all its hard work to advance the field of education. If the government backs the proposed, it will be better.
It is fortunate that our educators have been receiving training in order to ensure the quality of our educational system. Trained educators will be able to instruct and instruct students effectively now that their knowledge has been upgraded.
Making ensuring that every child is eligible for the opportunities provided by education and is well-equipped with skills for surviving and making a meaningful contribution to society is the essence of dealing with these difficulties.
It was a fantastic idea to train unqualified teachers for a full year. Weldon Federal Ministry of Education for a UNICEF-backed initiative.
The GPE being successful is owed to the management tenacity work to ensure teachers get better. I’m sure the north is also now receiving adequate education.