The Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, has expressed its determination to reform basic education through the introduction of technology in classes and training of 1,480 teachers selected from rural and hard-to-reach schools across the country.

The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboyi, in his speech during the flag-off ceremony in Abuja, on Monday, revealed that SMART schools are being built nationwide and teachers are also being trained in digital literacy to enable them facilitate the use of technology.

He added that the training which focuses on the multigrade and mixed ability approaches to teaching will have 40 participating teachers enlisted per state.

“I am pleased to inform you of the Investment the Commission is making in introducing technology into our schools and classes. SMART schools are being built nationwide and teachers are also being given skills in digital literacy to enable them facilitate using technology. This will also be extended to the rural areas.

“I am pleased to inform you of the Investment the Commission is making in introducing technology into our schools.

“In the rural and hard to reach areas, the provision of quality education is challenging as attracting and retaining qualified teachers is difficult and this causes parents/guardians to be less inclined in enrolling their children in school or be withdrawing them from school since their education needs are not met.

“The general outcry by stakeholders over the dearth of teaching staff in the rural and hard to reach schools attests to this fact,” he said.

The UBEC boss, who was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary, Technical, Prof Bala Zakari, said the Commission initiated the capacity building programme on multigrade/mixed classroom pedagogies for teachers in the rural and hard-to-reach schools to equip them with skills for effective teaching and managing of learners at different levels or grade in class.

He said the method allows teachers to create inclusive and dynamic learning environments where every learner has the opportunity to thrive and succeed.

Similarly, the Director of Teacher Development at UBEC, Mr Mayowa Aleshin, said the training proved the fact that government was addressing different challenges militating against effective teaching and learning in any location in the country.

While noting that the UBE programme ensures access is given to all irrespective of location, gender and social status, he said priority should be given to learners in the hard to reach and rural areas.

On her part, the Director Basic Education at the Ministry of Education, Mrs Folake Olatunji-David, represented by Mr Adedekun Israel, pointed out that the training was designed to equip teachers with the tools and techniques they need to thrive in these demanding environments.

“Multigrade and mixed ability pedagogy offers a framework for effective teaching in classrooms with students of multiple age groups and varying learning abilities.

“By learning these strategies, our teachers will be better equipped to: Create engaging and differentiated lessons that cater for the diverse needs of their students and foster a collaborative learning environment where students learn from and support each other and utilize innovative teaching methods and resources to maximize learning outcomes in resource-constrained settings,” she said.

UBEC to introduce technology, train teachers from rural schools across Nigeria