BayelsaPRIME: Governor Diri’s education transformation program kicks off   

To kickstart the basic education reform of Governor Douye Diri in Bayelsa state, over 2,000 teachers and headteachers drawn from four local government areas (LGAs) have concluded their BayelsaPRIME Induction training.

BayelsaPRIME (Bayelsa Promoting Reform to Improve and Modernize Education), the flagship basic education reform programme of the Diri-led administration, is set to revolutionise teaching and learning in Bayelsa state-owned primary schools. 

The programme which is managed by the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education and the Bayelsa State Universal Basic Education Board (Bayelsa SUBEB) will use technology-based teaching methods and proven modern classroom management techniques as tools to improve pupil participation in the classroom, learning outcomes and school attendance.

Teachers in the four pilot LGAs will no longer face the drudgery of preparing lesson notes as proven and effective lessons will be delivered to them weekly through the tablets meant for teachers. 

They will also receive continuous support and teacher professional development throughout the school calendar. 

Additionally, all data collection processes including marking of teacher and pupil arrival in schools and recording of examination scores will be carried out through the tablets. The data will be housed in a server supporting empirical policymaking going forward. 

“His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri conceptualized this policy in response to challenges facing our educational system,” Dr Gentle Emelah, the Honourable Commissioner for Education Bayelsa State said at the graduation ceremony for the teachers.  

“Indeed, this is a new dawn for education in Bayelsa state. One thing is sure, our children are going to start learning better with this policy in place. With the implementation of this technology, we can now be sure that our teachers will be in school, and we can also know if they are teaching or not,” he added.

Also speaking at the graduation ceremony, Tsubaleifa Kiekaiesa a Government Model School Kiama teacher, thanked Governor Diri for going the extra mile to upskill Bayelsa state teachers.

“I have been a teacher for many years, but the training I got here cannot be compared with what I have received in the past. This is a 100% overhaul,” Kiekaiesa said. 

“With this training, our classes are going to be extremely interesting for the children. I urge parents to send their children back to government schools so that they can fully benefit from this new pedagogy,” she asserted. 

Schools across Bayelsa state resume for the second term of the 2022/ 2023 academic session on February 1, 2023.