UBEC trains 1,480 teachers to tackle learning crisis in rural areas

Favour Ishember, Abuja

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has launched a training programme for 1,480 teachers from rural and hard-to-reach schools across the country.

The programme aims to equip teachers with multigrade and mixed ability teaching approaches to address the growing learning crisis in Nigeria.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Abuja, UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, highlighted the challenges of providing quality education in rural areas, where attracting and retaining qualified teachers is difficult.

“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.

“This has led to parents being less inclined to enroll their children in school or withdrawing them due to unmet education needs”.

Director of Teacher Development at UBEC, Mr. Mayowa Aleshin, emphasized the need to address learning poverty in rural and hard-to-reach areas, ensuring every child receives quality education. Priority should be given to learners in these areas to attain their maximum potential through education, he added.

Also speaking, the Director of Basic Education at the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Folake Olatunji-David, represented by Mr. Adedekun Israel, noted that the training will equip teachers with tools and techniques to thrive in demanding environments.

“Multigrade and mixed ability pedagogy offers a framework for effective teaching in diverse classrooms, enabling teachers to create engaging lessons, foster collaborative learning, and maximize learning outcomes in resource-constrained settings”, she said.