I welcome you all to this press briefing on the
nationwide capacity building programme for primary school teachers
which commences on 4th September 2006.
You are all aware of the worldwide concern for
the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that aim
to transform the condition of human kind in the 21st
Century. In furtherance of this, the Federal Ministry of Education
through the National Teachers Institute is mounting a nationwide
retraining programme for primary school teachers. The objectives of
this programme are to:
disseminate innovative practical skills that
will enhance the teacher effectiveness and promote greater
mastery of the subject matter by pupils,
update the teachers knowledge of subject
matter,
contribute to the development of positive
self concept and attitude towards the teaching profession, and
enable teachers to make pupils to perceive
learning as an interesting and pleasant activity that promotes
the development of self-understanding, inquiry and critical
thinking skills.
A total of 145,000 primary school teachers are to
be trained nationwide with each state including FCT (Abuja)
nominating between 2,500 and 4,000 teachers for the training. The
retraining will focus on the innovative techniques of teaching the
four core subjects of English Language, Mathematics, Science and
Social Studies as well as School-Based Assessment, Improvisation of
Instructional Materials and Computer Appreciation within a period of
six (6) days.
The retraining will take the form of workshops to
be conducted in 147 centres made up of one centre in each of the
three senatorial districts and the capitals of the 36 states of the
Federation and FCT (Abuja). The resource persons have been carefully
selected from universities and Colleges of Education in the country.
Each of the 145,000 participants will be provided
with self-instructional training manuals which would serve as
resource materials for them and their colleagues in their schools
after the workshops. This is in addition to the stationery to be
supplied to each of them such as biro pens, rulers, sharpeners,
erasers, pencils, notebooks, folders and jotters.
Each of the 147 training centres will be equipped
with various training equipment such as computers and accessories;
television sets; video cassette recorders/players; radio/CD/audio
cassette recorders/players; a multi-media projector and screen;
portable generators, etc. Instructional materials such as recorded
audio and video cassettes in the four core subjects, CDs and flash
cards and an HIV/AIDS teaching kit have been produced for the
retraining programme. It is expected that these audio visual
equipment and instructional materials which have been procured and
produced for the retraining programme will be left behind at
designated NTI distance learning study centres after the retraining
programme. They will be available for use by the NTI, State
Ministries of Education and SUBEB in subsequent training programmes.
The training programme is scheduled as follows:
North-West and South-East Zones - 4th
to 9th September, 2006
North-Central and South-South Zones - 11th
to 16th September, 2006
North-East and South-West Zones - 18th
to 23rd September, 2006
The training centres have been carefully selected
bearing in mind the adequacy of infrastructure and centrality to
participants in all senatorial districts. These centres have been
inspected and it is necessary to note that some of the centres
visited especially those in the South-East and South-West Zones had
inadequate chairs in the halls and seats/desks in the classrooms. We
have appealed to Commissioners for Education and Chairmen of SUBEBs
to assist in providing these where necessary.
Senior academics from our Faculties of Education
are being deployed by NUC to the training centres to monitor the
training. In addition the Institute would also constitute monitoring
teams drawn from relevant agencies of the Federal Ministry of
Education such as NERDC, UBEC, NUT and NTI to visit and monitor the
retraining. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs
would also be involved in the monitoring, as well as the Education
Committees of the National Assembly and some Non-Governmental
organizations. The Press is also invited to monitor this programme
in their respective areas.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, this
retraining programme is one rare opportunity for Nigerian primary
school teachers to benefit from a professional development
programme. Many teachers after graduation have little or no
opportunity for retraining. There is no doubt that this is the first
time in Nigeria that there is a deliberate effort to organize
retraining programme for teachers on this magnitude. Experts have
continued to harp on the importance of continuing professional
development for teachers who are expected to translate such training
to better classroom practice. Good teachers would most certainly
produce good pupils. It is our hope that this retraining programme
will be a continuous one.
Gentlemen of the Press, may I at this juncture
appeal for the cooperation of all. The Honourable Commissioners for
Education in the states are requested to ensure that all teachers in
the school system nominated to participate in the training programme
do so diligently and promptly. Attendance is compulsory. They also
need to make available required infrastructure at the training
centres, particularly chairs and desks. Above all, we need the
cooperation of the general public and the stakeholders.
Finally, Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to
acknowledge the support and funding from the Federal Government
through the Federal Ministry of Education. I am happy to inform you
that Madam Minister would flag off the programme in Kaduna
Government College Training Centre on 4th September, 2006
at 10.00 am. We have received the cooperation of the State
Ministries of Education, the SUBEBs, NUT, NUC, BMPIU, Office of the
Senior Special Assistant to Mr. President on MDG,
Faculties/Institutes of Education of Nigerian Universities and
Colleges of Education. I wish to assure you that all necessary
arrangements have been put in place to ensure a smooth retraining
programme.
Gentlemen of the Press, we need your maximum
publicity and support.
