Late Raphael Edem laid to rest

FG reiterates commitment to education

By Ifiokabasi Abia
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu has said that the Federal government is committed to providing quality leadership through the provision of functional education.

Adamu stated this at the closing ceremony of the 2018 nationwide capacity building workshops for teachers at the basic level held in Uyo.

In his words, "the government realized that teachers continuing professional development and training rank paramount. This is why the present administration is giving all the necessary support to build the capacity of teachers through initiatives such as the the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) project.

"The federal government is planning to support States to generate accurate data of their teachers in terms of their quality and quantity. This will assist in determining the skill gaps and the corresponding training needs of teachers across all states of the federation", he stressed.

The Minister, Adamu maintained that teacher output level is expected to be enhanced after participation in seminars and workshops. He added that the  participants should share experiences with their colleagues back in their stations.

Mallam Adamu Adamu appealed to other stakeholders and  allied educational agencies to lend their hands to  take education sector to a higher pedestal.

He charged the participants to change their mindset about teaching profession by acting differently after  the workshop in a bid boost their image.

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, who was represented by Commissioner of Education, Prof. Victor Inoka, in his remarked said no education can rise above the level of its teachers, and so the continuing professional development of teachers is a key to ensuring the much needed solution to the problems bedeviling the education sector.

According to Gov. Udom commended the federal government for making the nationwide capacity building workshops for teachers an annual event.

In his words, "though education is on the concurrent list, I will, on behalf of Governors' Forum, commended the Federal Government for his initiative of restraining teachers on common thematic areas of education across all states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja", he added.

The Director General, National Teachers Institute (NTI), Prof. Garba Dahuwa Azare in his good will message described the annual capacity building program for teachers as good omen that is happening to Nigerian teachers.

Prof. Azare maintained that over 3700 teachers have been trained in the last five years. Thematic areas are language communication skill, effective class room management skill, basic class room teaching methods and techniques and ICT.

In his words, "it is our hope that the participants will do the needful by stepping down the training to the teachers that were not nominated. Knowledge shared is knowledge gained, the state Ministry of Education and State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to step up efforts in that direction", Azare stressed.

SUBEB under the leadership of Prof. Maria Ikorok had selected 100 teachers across the 31 Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State for the 'Train the Trainer' for primary school teachers through the SDGs.