To sustain quality and basic education, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has organized a five- day academic workshop to train primary school teachers across the 27 local government areas of Imo State with 21st century teaching strategies to enable teachers teach pupils effectively in order to improve their knowledge to become better persons in the future.
The cluster program, tagged Primary School Teachers Own School Based Training”, took place in 60 centres with some selected teachers being trained by lecturers from Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education (AIFCE) and Imo State University (IMSU) Owerri.
Speaking, the Executive Chairman of Imo State Universal Basic Education Board (IMSUBEB), Dr. Lady Ada Okwuonu, who visited one of the centers in Owerri on Thursday, noted that the cluster program, sponsored through grants by Federal Government, was geared to sharpen the academic knowledge of teachers on modern teaching techniques as to teach the pupils qualitatively.
According to the IMSUBEB Chairman, “we train the teachers on effective teaching skills to be confident in training our children. And those from institutions of higher learning, who have something to do with education, are the ones training the teachers. They are given new curriculum. They do not teach anyhow, they are given certain areas of education they will handle with these teachers. The trainers will tell the trainees about these new curricula because we cannot continue using mundane curriculum. Things are going ICT and these teachers must be ICT compliant to be able to teach pulps who will also be ICT literate”.
She said UBEC sent supervisors to monitor the workshop to ensure full compliance and efficiency by trainers and trainees, stating that education is key to society growth and should not be taken for granted, saying IMSUBEB environment is now roundly modified.
Okwuonu, who charged the trainees to be thorough in acquiring new basic techniques to be able to help learners improve academically, posited that Imo State is advancing educationally hence investment by Imo State government on quality and affordable education.
Commenting, Director, Teachers Development, IMSUBEB, Anoruo Chinyere, disclosed that more than 300 schools with 60 centers benefited from the UBEC cluster program, saying the program is the second phase having started last year. “We expected that there will be improvement in teaching learners by using local instrumental materials in their localities. More than 600 teachers in Imo have been trained on ICT and the master trainers should go and teach others. That is the essence of the training”.
Expressing satisfaction on the cluster program, some of the trainees, Mrs. Onyegbule Joy from Ikenegbu Primary School Owerri and Enwereuzo Chinwe, from Aladimma Housing Estate Primary School, Owerri, said they have learnt basic lessen knowledge that will help them to effectively teach their pupils in classroom, calling on government to make the cluster training available to all teachers in the country.
