Benue trains 1,000 teachers on Jolly Phonics

The fight against illiteracy in Benue State, has received a boost with the training of 1,000 teachers in the Jolly Phonics programme, by the state Universal Education Board.

Jolly Phonics is the world’s leading synthetic phonics programme that is widely used in schools in the United Kingdom, amongst other countries, which teaches the 42 sounds of the English language in a fun and fast way, thereby enabling students to read and write with confidence.

Consequent upon this development, free materials from the UK publisher, Jolly Learning, worth N105m have been donated to teachers, students and classrooms across the state by a non-profit organisation, Universal Learning Solutions (ULS), an organisation charged with the management of the projects across the country.

The Jolly Phonics three-day intensive training, which was carried out by an expert in Otukpo, Makurdi and Adikpo towns for primary one and two teachers, head teachers and officials, exposed the participants to the Jolly Phonics methodology, and equipped them with skills needed for the effective mentoring, monitoring, assessing literacy skills, and evaluating the implementation of the method.

Executive Chairman, Benue State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Philip Tachin, in his remark at the training said, “I am delighted to showcase our commitment to transform literacy levels in the state with the Jolly Phonics. This is one of the most effective tools available internationally to help pupils to read and write. I am committed to ensuring that this project makes the maximum impact possible.”