About 600 mathematics and science teachers from across Ekiti state recently participated in a six-day training aimed at imparting to them the skills that will help them to function better in the classroom.
have undergone tra been by the State’s Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has begun.
Chairman of Ekiti SUBEB, Prof. Femi Akinwumi, while declaring open the workshop in Ikere-Ekiti on Saturday, said that the focus was to improve methodology for teaching of mathematics and science subjects in public schools.
SUBEB organised the workshop with the theme; “Strengthening Mathematics and Science Education” in conjunction with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
Akinwumi said that science and mathematics was fundamental courses that should be handled with tenacity of purpose.
According to him, provision of solid foundation for pupils in the subjects is a major prerequisite to become medical doctors, engineers and other renowned profession in allied occupations in future.
He said that tutors are vital stakeholders in the quest to ensure qualitative education and reiterated the resolve of the Gov. Kayode Fayemi-led administration to ensure proper training and retraining of teachers in the state.
“Teachers who teach science subjects and mathematics need to be confident with what they are teaching and also to have appropriate techniques and strategies of motivating the pupils.
“Also to have interest in the subjects because if these subjects are not taught well at the basic education level, it will be difficult for pupils to catch up at a higher level in future”, Akinwumi said.
He said that SUBEB in partnership with UBEC had trained over 12,800 teachers, head teachers, school principals, school support officers and other staff of public schools on modern teaching methods.
“SUBEB also trained them in other ways of improving service delivery in schools from the last quarter of 2020 to date,’’ he said.
The chairman assured that the state government would continue to improve the basic education sector through development of teaching and learning environment, continuous and robust monitoring of schools to ensure standard, equitable distribution of teachers.
He further said that government should continue to establish new schools to guarantee access to education, especially now with increased school enrolment occasioned by the introduction of free compulsory education policy by Fayemi’s administration.
Earlier, Mr Oluwadare Ajayi, the Permanent Secretary Education, said that strengthening mathematics and science education programme was introduced in Nigeria in 2012 by the Japanese Government.
Ajayi, represented by the board’s Director, Quality Assurance, Mr Dele Owolabi, said that the programme was aimed at improving quality of teaching mathematics and science subjects in terms of attitude, pedagogy and mastery of content.
He urged the participants to pay attention to resource persons so that the programme would achieve the required multiplier effect on the teaching and learning of the subjects in schools.
Also, the board’s Director Training, Mr Temotope Olusola-Shittu said that participants were expected to put the training into practice when they returned to their various schools.
Responding, one of the beneficiaries of the training programme, Mr Makinde Babatunde, said the training impacted attitudinal changes in him.
Babatunde promised to utilise knowledge acquired to deliver his lessons.
Another participant, Mrs. Miracle Ojo, said that initially, the teaching method centered on teachers but that the training exposed them to various methods that would allow children to interact freely with their teachers.(NAN)
