As part of the measures to address noticeable declines in students’ performances occasioned by poor teaching techniques, the Lagos State Government has partnered with the Sustainable Education and Enterprise Development (SEED) Foundation to train and equip one million teachers with modern teaching techniques.
Declaring open the training organised for teachers at the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Ijanikin, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Education, Barrister Tokunbo Wahab said the programme was designed to give participants relevant skills that will boost their competency and professionalism to deliver quality teaching.
He stated that the SEED programme is part of the measures put in place to achieve the set goals of the Education and Technology Pillar of the T.H.E.M.E.S Development Agenda of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu led administration in the State.
According to him, the programme was also aimed at building the capacity of teachers through exposure to various online courses as well as foreign teaching techniques that would help to update their knowledge and improve their skills to be able to perform better and guide students appropriately in class.
Wahab, who was represented by the Director, Standard and Accreditation, Office of the Special Adviser on Education, Mrs. Adepeju Sunmon, said the programme would complement the present administration’s efforts in training and retraining teachers for optimal performance.
The Special Adviser, who disclosed further that the State Government spent a huge amount of money annually in building staff capacity, noted that the partnership with FEED Foundation would yield the desired result by helping institutions in the State to turn out teachers who are not only qualified for the job but have the interest of profession at heart.
Wahab, therefore, enjoined the participants to take full advantage of the scholarship training programme to develop themselves while ensuring that they participate actively throughout the duration of the programme.
He also assured that the State Government would not relent in providing all incentives and enabling environment that would make teaching one of the most lucrative professions in the State
In her remarks, Vice-Chancellor of LASUED, Professor Bilkis Lafiaji-Okunneye noted that the State Government/SEED collaboration is one of the strategies of the present administration to professionalise teaching towards enhancing improved performance among teachers.
In her remarks, Executive Director, SEED Care and Support Foundation Olanrewju Oniyitan, explained that the challenges against quality education in Nigeria are enormous, noting that there was a need to build the capacity of teachers in training so as to update their knowledge.
She averred that no matter how conducive the learning environment is, the availability of competent and qualified teachers is crucial to achieving sustainable growth in education, calling on the government at all levels to prioritise training and re-training of teachers as a necessary prerequisite for improvement.