The Executive Chairman of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Ganiyu Oluremi Sopeyin on Tuesday disclosed that no fewer than 1,110 public primary schools teachers spread across the 20 Local Government Education Authorities in the state would be trained in the Jolly Phonics method of teaching.

Speaking during the Flag off of the training exercise at the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board Maryland Multipurpose Hall, Dr, Sopeyin affirmed that the training exercise, which is in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), was designed primarily to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of public primary schools teachers in the state.

According to him, the State Government believes so much in capacity building of public school teachers so as to make them more competitive among their peers in the private sector, adding that public primary school teachers would be exposed to novel techniques and synthetic phonics.

“The training would also update teachers’ knowledge and skills with a view to give them new outlook. We do not want our teachers to remain stagnant and unproductive in their operations. Untrained teachers and Head teachers would remain shallow in knowledge, hollow in their subject area, faulty in school management and communication skills”, he explained.

He described the 19 days training programme as another testimony of the present administration’s interest in the wellbeing of public schools teachers, stressing that the State Government is doing a lot to provide qualitative and quantitative education for the children.

Dr. Sopeyin reaffirmed that the state would continue to invest in the capacity building of both the teaching and the non-teaching members of staff and also enhance efforts to rehabilitate more public schools in the state.

He urged public school teachers to keep to the tenets of the teaching profession in the State, warning that government would not hesitate to punish any erring teacher who tries to undermine the free education policy of the State Government.

In her own speech, the Chief Responsibility Officer of the Institute of Learning and Skill Development, Dr. Olusola Eshiet described the training method which public school teachers are being exposed to, as a well researched method adjudged by scholars globally to be the best method to improve the reading skills of pupils.

•Source: LASG Media Office. Photo shows Lagos Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

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