UBEC director, British Council urge government to prioritise learning

The Acting Director, Department of Academic Services, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Abuja, Mallam Wadatau Madawaki, has called on the Federal Government to ensure that education is accorded its priority as stipulated by the United Nations (UN), so as to move the nation forward.
 
Speaking at the Connecting Classroom Best-Practice Sharing Conference for education stakeholders organised by the British Council, Madawaki linked the country’s development to its ability to invest hugely in human capacity through education.

Connecting Classrooms is British Council’s global education programme for schools. Jointly funded by the British Council and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), it is designed to help young people develop the knowledge, skills and values to live and work in a globalised economy and contribute responsibly both locally and globally.

The British Council’s Connecting Classrooms also trains over 5,000 Nigerian teachers on 21st Century Core Skills.

At the event, themed: “Core Skills in Action: Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Learning – Nigeria and UK Experience,” Madawaki, highlighted the need for Nigerian kids to be well trained for the future.

Calling for better funding of the sector, he said: “We believe there should be the political will from the Federal Government to ensure that education is fully and well-funded so that the best quality can be brought out for the benefit of our children’s future. Once the human factor is qualitative enough, then we are able to get education right.”

Also, Regional Support Manager, British Council, Shingai Ziki, who lamented the poor budgetary allocation to the sector and the fact that the country is lagging behind in education, said: “Education is the beginning of everything. I think for any child to develop and become a responsible citizen within the country and globally, we definitely need more resources allocated to the sector.

The event he said, provided a platform for the learning and sharing of best-practice strategies and ideas from education practitioners, adding that it showcased the core skills teaching experiences from a UK perspective, as well as the perspectives of a selection of over 5,000 Nigerian teachers trained across primary, secondary, public and private schools.
  
The Director Schools, Education and Society, British Council, Nigeria, Mohammed Ahmed, who spoke on critical thinking, problem solving skills and the need to bridge the gap said, “ if we have to look at the way the world is changing, the rapid acceleration of technology, globalization and how all of us are increasingly becoming inter-connected, it is very clear that the kind of teaching pedagogue and skills that people learnt in 19th and 20th century, clearly cannot lead to the kind of changes that we want across the world.” Hence, he urged the need for educationists to be abreast of current trend in education.