Child rights group lauds Akwa Ibom State Government for Fight against Illiteracy

According to a press statement, the project, which trains government school teachers in the use of the Jolly Phonics method of teaching reading and writing, has revolutionised the teaching of reading and writing in the state. It was initiated in 2010 after the Commissioner of Education, Dr Nseabasi Akpan, visited London with the Vice Chancellor […]

According to a press statement, the project, which trains government school teachers in the use of the Jolly Phonics method of teaching reading and writing, has revolutionised the teaching of reading and writing in the state. It was initiated in 2010 after the Commissioner of Education, Dr Nseabasi Akpan, visited London with the Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof. Comfort Ekpo, and witnessed the widespread use of the method in schools and the radical improvements it brings about in the reading and writing abilities of children.  The Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Education then moved swiftly to forge a partnership with the University of Uyo, Stepping Stones Nigeria and the London based educational publisher – Jolly Learning.

To date, the project has trained 3, 455 government primary one and two teachers across the state and, with  a generous donation from Jolly Learning, has provided free learning materials to all pupils and teachers in the state. A monitoring team, led by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof. Comfort Ekpo and her team, with support from SUBEB and the Ministry of Education has then carried out regular visits to government schools to support the implementation of the Jolly Phonics method. The findings from the project to date highlight the significant improvements that have been made in the reading and writing abilities of children across the state and the great potential that the Jolly Phonics method has to eradicate illiteracy.

During a recent visit to Akwa Ibom state, representatives from Stepping Stones Nigeria paid a courtesy call to the Commissioner for Education and visited schools across the state to witness the impact of the Read and Write Now! project.

Speaking during the visit, Louise Gittins, Teacher Training and Research Officer at Stepping Stones Nigeria said: “Every child has the right to read and write. It has therefore been wonderful to see the great strides that the Akwa Ibom State Government has made in providing free and compulsory education in the state and the improvements that have been made in government school infrastructure. Stepping Stones Nigeria believes that the Read and Write Now! project greatly compliments Governor Akpabio’s vision for the future of the education system in Akwa Ibom State and, as such, we look forward to working with the Ministry of Education to develop and implement a strategy for the next stages of the project”.