By Anietie Akpan
United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has floated a new Learning Culture in Cross River Schools.
This is a pilot capacity training programme for participants in Cross River state on a new learning culture in schools across the state and the country.
The pilot programme, in a conscious effort to domesticate this aspect of learning in the school curriculum in schools in the state, will be held in the three senatorial districts of the state which started in Igoli, Ogoja Local Government Area ((LGA) on September 2, with 40 participants drawn from the five LGAs that make the Northern senatorial district of the state.
The next ones will hold in Yakurr LGA from September 16 to 19 while that of Biase LGA will be from September 23 to 26, 2024 with 40 participants each.
Tagged, ”Parental Engagement on Playful Learning”, the idea of the training programme is to engage parents, teachers and pupils on the need to identify with a time to play while learning.
The Executive Secretary, Local Government Education Authority, Mr Sebastian Egbaje who represented the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, lauded UNICEF for its avowed commitment to the development of the children in Nigeria.
He maintained that the state Government will always take proactive steps to compliment such efforts.
While delivering a lecture at the capacity building programme, at Government Secondary School, Igoli in Ogoja LGA for the pilot beneficiaries, the Lead Facilitator, Dr Asabe Comfort Ismaila emphasized the relevance of a solid foundation for children from Cradle.
She noted with emphasis the commitment of parents and teachers towards the new learning skills, describing that there are 7 Cs in this new curriculum which include communication, collaboration, commitment, coordination, curriculum, community engagement and constant participation.
Dr Ismaila said these 7 Cs must be applied in schools and at homes to develop the cognitive abilities of the children.
She consistently anchored on quality education which for her, “is of immense importance for the growing child hence the need for the new scheme”.
Another Facilitator, Dr Terkula Daniel Uyeh, “the playful parental engagement workshop is designed to create a new horizon for children as they grow up”.
He thanked UNICEF for sponsoring the programme in collaboration with the Cross River State Ministry of Education adding, “this will go a long way in building the mental health and alertness of the children”.
UNICEF Desk Officer for the State’s Ministry of Education, Mr Ukom Benjamin Eno expressed gratitude to UNICEF for the partnership to promote the pilot scheme of parental engagement in playful development of the child ahead of resumption of schools which according to him, “will be speedily implemented”.
The UNICEF Desk Officer for the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr Patrick Udida noted that the standard of education is falling hence the need to look inward and explore other areas to upgrade the system.
Udida saw the collaboration of parents and teachers in the education of the child as “sine qua none and a condition precedent”.
Some of the participants expressed gratitude to UNICEF adding that as pilot beneficiaries, they are in a better position to drive the process to enviable results.
