By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
United Nations Children’s Funds (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) have supported education sector through Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria under a 4- year education Program for Borno and Yobe states – Education in Emergency Programmes (PLANE-EIE) for 280,500 pupils, students as well as 7,200 facilitating teachers.
The project is also aimed at enhancing access to safe, inclusive and high quality learning process, methodology and environment for both the pupils, students and teachers.
The Senior Education Officer, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, British Commission Abuja, Mr. Ian AtterField, while briefing journalists in Maiduguri during an inspection tour at the Muhammad Aji Goni Laminu (Modu Makaranta) Mega Primary and Junior Secondary school, said UNICEF is coordinating and implementing the programme for 1,035 government officials, 2,235 members of school and center based management committees( SCBMCs).
According to him, the programmes have significantly in the last three years of its implementation have contributed tremendously to the development and progress of the education sector recovery in the conflict affected areas, stressing that, it underscores a comprehensive approach to addressing the educational challenges posed by the insurgency, specifically, emphasizing on inclusivity and high quality learning for the vulnerable children
On his part, the UNICEF, Borno State Education Officer, Mustapha Shehu, said the implementation process of the education emergency programmes also include facilitating learning among the school children with a view to tracking their learning process and ensuring high quality and standard learning through various methodologies and processes.
Mohammed Zubairu, Education Officer, Norwegian Refugees Council (NRC), at Chad Basin Primary and Junior Secondary School Muna Garage Area, also said that the project is successfully advancing towards its goals, focusing on improving teaching and learning approaches for conflict affected children.
He added that the 6 teachers or trainers facilitating 320 pupils and students in the afternoon session are also currently on track with substantial advancements in foundational learning skills and creation of a secure learning environment through inclusive , crisis responsive planning , resulting in a significant reduction in the percentage of pupils and students at beginners level in both numeracy and literacy.
Also, the Community Mobilization Officer, Restoration of Hope Initiative (ROHI) at Muna IDPs Camp Primary and Junior Secondary School, Abel Ajaalla, also emphasized that with the life skills and entrepreneurship, many girls have been empowered to overcome academic and social challenges , enhance immediate learning, complete Primary School and transition to Junior Secondary school where over 32,000 girls are expected from the Programme to developed crucial psychosocial and interpersonal skills.
According to him, these skills not only help in their continued learning but empower them with resilience and adaptability towards enabling them to thrive academically in the long run, stressing that, the project has contributed to improving a sense of safety and protection among the conflict affected learners.
The Headmaster of Modu Makaranta, Barrister Ngare Alhahi Bukar further explained that with the series of trainings carried out by UNICEF in the last three years in the school for both pupils of primary 4,5 and 6 alongside the trainings organized for the 41 teachers out of 53 teachers that the school had before
He noted that however, Quality and Programme Assessment (DPQA) indexes have shown that the project contributed in improving a sense of safety and protection among the conflict affected learners as 95% reported feeling safe within the school environment while recommending the need for refine procedures, guidelines and data collection instruments pertinent to evaluating the issues in ground towards improving the assessment of child safety and security of the over 3, 996 pupils and students of the school.
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