100 recent graduates from the Faculty of Education, University of Maiduguri have been deployed to provide afternoon education services in Borno communities and Q’uranic centres.
The teachers will strengthen the quality of teaching and learning and provide numeracy and literacy classes in selected Tsangaya centres and Islamiyah schools in the state.
Education Manager, UNICEF Borno Field Office, Nasser Kaddoura, stated these on Tuesday during a five-day training session for the teachers on the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) methodology and tools.
The TaRL training deploys a progressive model of initial, middle and final assessments for children to track their learning abilities.
Supported by the European Union’s Early Recovery and Resilience programme in Borno State, the training is a programme of the United Nations Children’s Fund, in partnership with the Borno State Universal Basic Education Board, Ministry of Religious Affairs and the University of Maiduguri.
Kaddoura said the training of teachers on TaRL to ensure the availability and quality assurance of education services for out-of-school children in the state.
He added that the training on TaRL methodology was necessary to track the progress of the children as they enroll and attend classes.
He said: “UNICEF and its partners are collaborating to ensure that access to education translates to qualitative learning.
“This will ensure that children are learning as part of increasing access through non-formal education settings.
“That is why this partnership will use the right teaching methods to ensure that children receive qualitative basic education after which they can opt for a further educational or vocational pathway.
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“The Ministry of Religious Affairs has shown its commitment by directing Tsangaya centers and Islamiyyah schools to be part of this intervention.
“The teachers have also indicated their readiness to make a difference. UNICEF is happy that children who were hitherto out-of-school can receive education in their own communities and be equipped for the future.’’
The Focal Person at the MoRA, Mallam Umar Ali Muhammad, said the state government is ready to invest in quality education for children.
One of the teachers, Amina Amatiao, 30, is positive that the gains of the project would be visible in a few months after deploying the TaRL baseline, midline and endline assessment tools.
“I am a trained teacher, but I have leant so much these few days. I have new approach to classroom management and assessment tools now.
“I do not need to wait till the end of the term to assess the children. I will assess at the beginning of the project so that I will know whether they improved in their numeracy and literacy skills or not,’’ she said.
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