Stakeholders Laud TY Danjuma Foundation's Teachers' Training Project

By Lucky Isibor

Stakeholders in education in Esan West and Esan Central Local Government Areas of Edo State have lauded the TY Danjuma Foundation's Teachers' Skills Enhancement Training Project for selected teachers in public schools in the area, noting that the training programme has impacted positively on their computer handling abilities.

The stakeholders made the commendation at a review meeting held July 28, at Irrua with beneficiaries to appraise the Danjuma Foundation's Teachers' Enhancement Training Project in Esan West and Esan Central Local Government Areas.

Speaking at the review meeting, the Chief Responsibility Officer of Josemaria Escriva Foundation Ekpoma, the implementing agency of the TY Danjuma Foundation Teachers' Enhancement Training Project, Dr. Jude Obasanmi, assured participants that the "Teacher's Computers" (TC), has not come to replace the teachers but to enhance their ability to deliver their lessons and do their work as teachers.

According to the CRS, "The teachers computers, TC, has not come to replace the teachers, as the Computer Assisted Instructions, CAI, and the Computer Managed Instructions, CMI, are only meant to compliment the effort of the teachers".

Obasanmi charged the participants to appraise the various trainings and interventions they have had so far with a view to making the project more impactful and result oriented. 

 In his remarks, a representative of TY Danjuma Foundation from Abuja, Mr. Tersoo Akula, noted that the funds from the foundation is an investment on the teachers which returns is effectiveness in their delivery and the positive impact on the pupils.

While commending the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (Edo State SUBEB) for approving the intervention, Akula promised that the foundation will continue to partner with NGOs in Edo State, assuring that the exercise was not meant to witch hunt anyone.

"The funds given out by T.Y Danjuma Foundation, is seen as grants to the benefactor, however, it is actually an investment and the returns they expect on their investment, are the effectiveness, practicability and impact of the trainings on the teachers and the pupils.

"The review meeting was part of the Foundations activities not out to witch-hunt anyone but is only interested in improving the delivery of teachers so as to ensure that the learners are able to maximally benefit from the exercise and also to identify other areas that might require more advocacies or interventions", Akula said.

The Edo State Coordinator of T.Y Danjuma Foundation, Ms. Oluwatoyin Ajayi in her remarks enjoined the participants to share their experiences and identify areas that JOSEF would need to sustain or review. She pointed out that the outcomes from the meeting will no doubt, influence subsequent activities and commended the Education Secretaries of the two LGAs as well as the Learning and Development Officers who have demonstrated great commitment in the project activities. 

Some of the participating teachers who spoke to Newscurve on their experiences during the training thus far, identified other competencies they learnt from the training to include stress and time management, competences in the use of the Teachers' Computer (TC), saying hitherto, some teachers were more or less indifferent in their use of (TC). 

Some teachers also pointed out that they learnt new skills in teaching aids improvisation techniques as they were taught how to use practical and tangible things that the children are familiar with in delivering their lessons.

The teachers while thanking Edo SUBEB for the opportunity, however, suggested to TY Danjuma Foundation and JOSEF that more teachers should be involved in subsequent trainings, adding that, the benefits were enormous.

The teachers also shared some challenges that will be addressed as the project progresses.

Some of the success stories were the fact that they are now more equipped to manage their time and stress, put the (TC) into better use and also see it as a good device that aids teaching and most importantly, they are able to surf the internet for additional learning materials and other things that are beneficial to them personally. 

The participants unanimously agreed that the content of the training was apt and timely, saying that it came at a time when teachers are longing for better ways of improving their teaching skills in the midst of very challenging socioeconomic situation in Nigeria.

In his remarks, one of the facilitators at the review meeting, Dr. Paul Ebhomien commended TY Danjuma Foundation, JOSEF and SUBEB for the intervention which according to him "was very strategic and hoped that the teachers will put the knowledge and skills gained into proper use to enhance their skills and content delivery".

The TY Danjuma Foundation Teachers' Enhancement Training Project, (TSEP) is a five-year project funded by TY Danjuma Foundation to train 60 teachers on an annual basis. The Project has trained teachers in the said schools in a range of critical areas including classroom, time and stress management, use of computer as a tool in learning, especially the use of the Teachers’ Computer, Communication and Interpersonal skills amongst others with the aim of devising a pragmatic solution to ease their delivery methods in the classrooms.

Beneficiaries of the 'Training of Trainers' programme, included the Learning and Development Officers, LDO, Quality Assurance Officers, QAO, Head of Schools Support Services and a couple of selected teachers, and were charged to in turn train teachers in their respective schools on the training they received.