Kebbi dispatches over 140 coaches to monitor 956 primary schools

Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi

To evaluate performances of over 1,452 trained primary one teachers, the Kebbi State government has deployed over 140 monitoring officers to 956 primary schools across the 21 council areas of the state.

The affected teachers were trained under Better Education Service Delivery for All  (BESDA) to ensure improvement of primary one pupils under the guide of Reading and Numeracy Activities (RANA) scheme, and their enrolment in the state.

Daily Sun gathered  that 120 mentors and coaches as well as BESDA officers converged on  Birnin Kebbi for the meeting of LGEA Desk Officers and RANA coaches/mentors on distribution of pupils book and teacher’s guide.

While dispatching the officers , the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Hajiya Rafaatu Hammani explained that the essence of the exercise was on how  to improve literacy level and retention of pupil’s enrolment in the Primary schools.

“We invited the coaches and mentors here, because they are the one who will go round to evaluate the effects of the training we gave these primary one teachers on RANA programme. They are to see if they are following the syllabus. Are they doing it correctly? If they are doing it right, they will encourage them to do more.

“This is to ensure that RANA is going on the way its should be. We have  distributed books to all the primary one pupils that these trained primary one teachers are teaching. So, we want them to go round to see if all these pupils have the RANA books. And if the teachers are teaching exactly what they are supposed to teach by following the syllabus the way it’s should be.

“ Where the teacher is deficient, they will assist and help the teacher, guide him or her on the aspect such teacher is not doing well.

“So, the whole essence of this exercise is to remind ourselves our roles as  the people who will not only bring back children to schools, but, at the same time, make sure we retain  them until they complete their schools and make sure we teach them quality education”. Earlier, the Desk Officer of BESDA, Mallam Hassan Umar,  disclosed that the programme was designed to improve literacy.