No fewer than 1480 selected teachers in rural and hard-to-reach schools, across the 36 states and FCT had been trained with skills on multigrade pedagogies.
Multigrade pedagogies is a teaching method where a teacher is assigned to work with small groups of children of different grade levels in the same classroom.
The Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr Hamid Bobboyi, disclosed this at a capacity building workshop in Abuja on Monday.
The Executive Secretary said the programme was aimed at providing quality basic education to every Nigerian child, particularly, in areas where teachers are hardly available due to bad terrain.
Bobboyi, represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary, UBEC, Prof. Bala Zakari, said the initiative imbued in teachers a mind-set for embracing diversity, innovation, collaboration and motivation for improved learning outcomes.
He disclosed that 40 teachers were selected in each of the 36 states and the FCT for the programme.
“You are all aware that 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.
“Some who have access in the rural areas do not have the opportunity to have teachers available due to the challenge of bad terrain.
“The consequence of this is low enrolment and increase in the number of out-of-school children as learners lose interest in education and drop-out from school.
“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,” he said.
Boboyyi noted that the training was apt considering the general outcry by stakeholders over the dearth of teaching staff in the rural and hard-to-reach schools.
He explained that the commission in its census carried out in 2022, discovered that about two million teachers were manning over 46 million learners in the country, a situation he said required urgent attention.
“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.
“The multigrade and mixed ability teaching approach allows teachers to create inclusive and dynamic learning environments where every learner has the opportunity to thrive and succeed,” he said.
He, therefore, pledged the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing whatever challenges facing effective teaching and learning while making all learners able to effectively compete with their contemporaries globally.
On her part, the Director, Basic Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Folake Olatunji-David said the training would offer a framework for effective teaching in classrooms with students of multiple age groups and varying learning abilities.
Olatunji-David, represented by a Deputy Director in the ministry, Mr Israel Adedotun, commended teachers in hard-to-reach and rural areas, saying their passion for education played a vital role in building the future of our nation.
“Multigrade pedagogy is available as a panacea to challenges of out-of-school children.
“It will also ensure that every learner in the rural and hard-to-reach schools has the attention of the teacher and his or her learning needs are met in the classroom.
“With this methodology, children from these targeted communities will have access to quality education as their teachers now have what it takes to teach, especially those having learners of different grades in their classes,” she said.
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The Director of Teacher Development, UBEC, Mr Mayowa Aleshin, said the training would address the challenges militating against effective teaching and learning, especially in rural schools.
Aleshin, however, called for more priority to learners in the hard-to-reach and rural areas in order to tackle the problems of out-of-school children as well as give opportunity to learners to attain their maximum potential through education.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports stakeholders, such as, the Nigerian Educational Research Development Council (NERDC), UNICEF, among others declared their support for the initiative. (NAN)
