By Lucky Isibor
The Josey Maria Escriva Foundation (JOSEF) Thursday 18 May ended its 2024 Skill Enhancement Training for Teachers in Esan West and Esan Central Local Government Areas of Edo State at at Akho Primary School, Irrua in Esan Central Local Government Area.
The training which is under the Teachers’ Skills Enhancement Project (TSEP) is funded by TY Danjuma Foundatioin and implemented by Josemaria Escriva Foundation, and the programme which started in 2023 will run through to 2027.
In his remarks at the closing session of the 2024 training edition of the programme, the Chief Responsibility Officer (CRO) of JOSEF, Dr. Jude Obasanmi pointed out that the the objective of of the training is to use the Learning and Development Officers, LDO’s in the LGAs to support 300 public primary school teachers to improve their teaching, technical and personal skills to complement the initiative of Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
Areas covered during the series of trainings were; how to improve in subject area content, Time and Stress Management, issues around Gender based violence, Innovative Curriculum Design, Technology-Enhanced Learning & Delivery (Blending technology and learning and ICT compliance using Teachers’ Computers (TC)) amongst others.
According to Dr Obasanmi, “We started this project courtesy of TY Danjuma Foundation in 2023. So far a total of a hundred and twenty teachers have benefited from the trainings while it is expected that the balance of a hundred and eighty teachers will be captured on an annual basis of 60 teachers before the close of the project in 2027.
“The essence of the trainings among others, is to allow the teachers and learners to benefit maximally from the teaching process. Before now, individuals, organisations and governments were only interested in building schools, providing tables, chairs, books, etc for schools, without looking at the delivery process and the individuals engaging the learners”.
“In the course of the trainings, the teachers have been taught proper Classroom Management, Time Management, Stress Management, etc which in most cases, can negativity affect the teaching delivery if not properly managed by the teachers, especially bearing in mind the different situations faced by people these days, that are capable of affecting the psyche of people, hence, their productivity. There has been a remarkable improvement on the part of the delivery of the teachers.
While thanking Edo SUBEB for approving the project, and TY Danjuma Foundation for making funds available for the trainings, Dr. Obasanmi appreciated the teachers for their enthusiasm and the facilitators for their effectiveness in the delivery of the different modules.
Also speaking, the Edo State representative of TY Danjuma Foundation, Ms. Oluwatomi Ajayi disclosed that the foundation has been giving grants to Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) to improve development in its thematic areas of health and education since its establishment in 2009.
“TY Danjuma Foundation, is a private Philanthropic Foundation that was set up by retired General TY Danjuma in 2009 with a focus on giving grants to NGO’s to support Health and Education related activities. Over the years, TY Danjuma Foundation has been able to provide support and enabling environment for development partners.”
Ms Ajayi noted that the instability of the financial environment in the economy has been a major challenge in the planning and budgeting of TY Danjuma Foundation in carrying out it’s activities adding that the foundation has supported education in one way or the other in most LGAs across the state.
She counselled beneficiaries to take the trainings seriously as the changing environment today demands that teachers take seriously, whatever trainings in capacity development they are getting, so as to be able to meet up with the challenges in teaching the 21st century learners.
While stating how TY Danjuma Foundation’s intervention came about and their assessment of the effectiveness of the trainings thus far, Ajayi said: “Our partner, Josemaria Escriva Foundation, after doing an assessment of the teachers deliveries, was able to identify the requisite training needs, hence came up with the different modules to bridge the missing links, so as to ensure effectiveness and efficiency in the teaching deliveries and learning processes. it is this missing links that the, TY Danjuma Foundation sponsored.
“It is the hope of Josemaria Excriva Foundation and TY Danjuma foundation that the impacted teachers will effectively and efficiently deploy what they have learnt and the Knowledge gained for their personal benefits and for quality deliveries to their students. Also, it is believed that these individuals will inturn train other teachers in their respective schools who were not captured in this training schedule”. She appealed.
The Education Secretary, Esan Central LGA, Mrs. Esther Oni-Idialu, thanked the organisers and restated that Edo SUBEB will continue to encourage more initiatives that will make the school environment more attractive to all, including the quality of teaching and learning.
In her presentation, Mrs. Clementina Omosimua, a Learning and Development Officer (LDO), dwelt on the need for teachers to build their competence as this was a major way to remain relevant. The challenges experienced in the classroom and strategies for solving classroom challenges, amongst others were discussed.
The second session, conducted by Mrs. Ohen Precious, the Head of Schools, School Support Services had Instructional Delivery in Classroom using the Teachers’ Computer (TC) as her focus. She explained to the participants, how lessons can be delivered more effectively using the TC.
Speaking on what they have thus far benefited from the trainings, some of the participants, including Mrs. Egbadon Obehi Vivian, of Akho Primary School, Irrua, Ighodalo Benjamin of Eguare Primary School, Ugbegun, Esekhaigbe Patience, of Akho Primary School, Irrua, Blessing Ighodalo of Uzogholo Primary School, Ewu and Iyamu Sunday Etiosa, spoke on their experiences, stating that they have benefited immensely from the trainings in the areas of Time Management, Stress Management, Content Delivery Strategies, Innovative Curriculum Design, Teachers/Personal Competencies, amongst others.
They thanked Josemaria Escriva Foundation and TY Danjuma Foundation, for the opportunity given them to benefit from the trainings and assured that they will go back to their respective schools to step down the trainings to other teachers that were not selected to attend the trainings.
They also thanked Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (Edo SUBEB) for finding them worthy to be part of the training.