The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has flagged off the training of 1,480 teachers selected from rural and hard-to-reach schools in the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as part of an initiative to address the challenge of acute shortage of teachers in rural communities.

The training is designed to equip teachers with pedagogical skills to be able to effectively teach pupils of different grades in a class in primary schools located in hard-to-reach and rural areas.

The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboyi, who flagged off the nationwide training programme on multi-grade and mixed-ability approaches to teaching, explained that because of the acute shortage of educators in rural areas, there were situations where one teacher was assigned to teach different grades of pupils in one class.

He lamented that the learning crisis being experienced in Nigeria is partly caused by the high pupil-teacher ratio in most rural schools.

To effectively handle such classes, the UBEC chief said a teacher requires special pedagogical strategies, hence the decision of the commission to organise training on the multi-grade and mixed-ability teaching approach.

According to him, this approach allows educators to create inclusive and dynamic learning environments where every learner has the opportunity to thrive and succeed.

Bobboyi said one of the challenges facing Universal Basic Education (UBE) implementation in the country is the inability of some learners to access quality education that translates to improved learning outcomes due to their location.

He said: “In 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 and guardians to be less inclined to enrol or withdraw their wards since their education needs are not met.

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

Bobboyi, who was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical), Prof. Bala Zakari, expressed the Federal Government’s commitment to provide qualitative basic education to every Nigerian child, notwithstanding their location and background.

“In 2022, training on multi-grade was given to some teachers. Having received the report of its importance and how it has greatly helped the targeted teachers, the commission is scaling it up to another set of teachers,” he said.

The UBEC boss added that the commission initiated a capacity-building programme on multi-grade and mixed classroom pedagogies for teachers in rural and hard-to-reach schools to equip them with skills for effective teaching and managing learners at different levels of grade in a class.

“In a world where classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse and complex, it is essential for teachers to be equipped with strategies that will enable them to engage and support learners effectively, irrespective of their age, ability, interest, and socio-economic background.”

He expressed the government’s commitment to tackling challenges hindering effective teaching and learning and making learners effectively compete with their contemporaries globally.

Earlier, the director of teacher development at UBEC, Mr Mayowa Aleshin, explained that 40 teachers were selected each from the 36 states and FCT, bringing the total number of teachers being trained to 1,480.

He said the training underscored the fact that government was addressing different challenges militating against effective teaching and learning in any location in the country.

“One of the solutions is the capacity building of teachers to arrest learning poverty in schools in rural and hard-to-reach areas, and to ensure every child in school receives quality education,” he said.

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

He further noted that if the problem of out-of-school children must be addressed, priority should be given to rural schools, and opportunities should be given to learners in hard-to-reach areas to attain their maximum potential through education.

On her part, the director of basic education at the Ministry of Education, Mrs Folake Davies, said the training was designed to equip teachers with the tools and techniques they need to thrive in these demanding environments.

“Multi-grade 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,” Davies said.