PCNI Trains 1,100 Teachers on Security Measures, Basic Counselling in Schools

Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

As part of a broader mandate of developing the north-east economy through quality education, the Presidential Committee on the North-east Initiative (PCNI), in collaboration with University of Maiduguri, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola and Yobe State University, Damaturu organised a five-day capacity building workshop for 1,100 primary schools teachers in the region.

The workshop simultaneously held in Maiduguri, Borno State and Yola, Adamawa State from March 19, 2018 to March 23, 2018.

Declaring the workshop open, the Vice-Chairman, PCNI, Alhaji Tijani Tumsa said the workshop was carefully selected to include intensive teaching techniques, conflict, risk and disaster reduction and psycho-social support training, among others.

He said the workshop was conducted in line with the Buhari Plan and PCNI core mandate and was aimed at improving the content delivery and skills of primary school teachers from Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States which were grossly affected by the Boko Haram insurgency as post-conflict education initiative.

According to him, PCNI through the collaborating institutions has engaged versatile consultants and educationists bearing in mind the importance of the profession to nation building that will sharpen the skills and knowledge of the teachers.

Represented by the Chairman, Sub-committee on Education, PCNI, Professor Hauwa Audu Biu, the vice-chairman said the workshop was aimed at achieving capacity to support parents and pupils affected by the insurgency; provide guidance to participants on how to develop assessment instruments; making scheme scoring techniques in consonance with the learning objectives.

He added that the workshop was also targeted at exposing the participants to contemporary teaching techniques among others while stressing that the insurgency has grossly traumatised the parents, teachers and students which require psycho-social support training to guide the teachers and counsel the parents and children with the pre-requisite skills and techniques of teaching and controlling the children in school environment with a view to develop the capacity of the children and teachers too at the fundamental level.

Tumsa added that PCNI carefully selected 300 participants from Adamawa State; 300 from Yobe State and 500 from Borno State for the workshop, while that of Taraba, Gombe and Bauchi will hold next

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi commended the organisers of the workshop and observed that the title was stimulating and challenging and very demanding for five days. Njodi who was represented by Professor Buba Mshelia said the resource persons were vibrant and competent to deliver.

The Executive Chairman/Commissioner, Borno SUBEB, Dr. Shettima Bukar Kullima said the board is making frantic effort to make teachers more comfortable and productive in schools as part of the post-insurgency education activities in the state.

He said the series of training and retraining programmes on psycho-social support have been conducted in collaboration with the Save the Children and UNICEF.

Represented by the Director Personnel Services, SUBEB, Alhaji Abba Kuma, he added that the workshop was timely as it was organized when the traumatised teachers need some training to refresh their brains, make them more committed to their profession.

Earlier, the Coordinator of the workshop, Professor Buluma Kagu said the workshop was unique as it brought in collaboration from SUBEB, PCNI, University of Maiduguri, Yobe State University and Modibbo University of Technology, Yola.