Fate of maths, science project shaky as Japanese exit

A large section of student population finds maths and science subjects so difficult and distressing that they avoid anything remotely mathematical. Students tended to drop out of maths and sciences or even opt out of careers that would involve having to do with a minimum maths such as the mandatory mathematics or statistics courses in […]

A large section of student population finds maths and science subjects so difficult and distressing that they avoid anything remotely mathematical.
Students tended to drop out of maths and sciences or even opt out of careers that would involve having to do with a minimum maths such as the mandatory mathematics or statistics courses in science, medicine, commerce and even social sciences.  
In Nigeria mass failures in maths and science in schools could be attributed to phobia and lack of competent and qualified teachers.
The National teachers’ Institute (NTI), Kaduna recently began the Strengthening Mathematics and Sciences Education (SMASE) project, with the aim of averting mass maths and science failure in schools.
SMASE is a partnership between the Federal Ministry of Educaton, State Universal Basic Education Boards and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
NTI has been holding in-service education training (INSET) under SMASE for primary school teachers nationwide, according to the institute’s director-general Aminu Sharehu-using collaboration from UBEC, Teacher Registration Council of Nigeria, Nigerian Educational Research and Development Centre (NERDC), National Mathematics Centre (NMC).
“The Institute is happy to announce that with the active support of major SMASE stakeholders, it has successfully trained 413 mathematics and science primary school teachers and administrators who would be cascaded down to school level where all mathematics and science primary school teachers would be trained,” he said.
In shared responsibility, NTI provides office space and facilities necessary for the conduct of national trainings, appoint and pay salaries and other allowances of national trainers and administrative staff, manage and maintain the national INSET centre, implement national inset and provide training facilities such as science and computer laboratories.
The SUBEBs are to provide office space and facilities necessary for the project at state level, funds for monitoring and evaluation at state level as well as fund for state, local and school based training.
The Japanese government on its own part has been providing expertise for national and pilot INSET centres, equipment, materials and machineries for national INSET centre and international training opportunities.
Since its inception, SMASE project has recorded a number of achievements including the establishment of the bodies to implement SMASE INSET at federal and state levels, construction and equipping the national INSET centre at NTI premises, Kaduna, review of training content, appointment of full-time trainers for the project, training of state and national trainers by pre-INSET in Kenya. Others are organizing seven cohorts for cycle 1 national INSET for the training of 413 state trainers from 33 non-pilot states as well as organizing cycle-one local INSET  for three pilot states in which 25,000 classroom teachers were trained.
Seven non-pilot states have organized state INSET for 200 core teachers in each state, over 150 teachers, trainers and INSET managers have been trained overseas, 23, 000 teachers have been trained in pilot and non pilot states, workshops had been organized to integrate school-based training into cascading structure of the SMASE INSET and all the states and FCT have joined the project with the exception of Lagos.
A delegation of the federal government and the contributing agencies had earlier gone to Kenya in 2012 to observe how the project was carried out there with a view to enhancing it in Nigeria.
The DG NTI who was part of the delegation then said, “There was a very strong commitment from the government of Kenya through funding and policy formulation to support the effective implementation of the project and there was evident impact of the project in the student’s performance at the national examination and students’ enrolment in science subjects.
“The Kenya SMASE INSET (CEMASTEA) receives annual funding through budgetary provision from the central government. Kenya started implementing the SMASE project with secondary school level and extended it to the primary school level and commenced the process of integrating SMASE concepts into the pre-service teacher education curriculum  as well as provide teacher support materials for curriculum implementation.”
Nevertheless, the project which started in Nigeria in 2010 has to a greater extent improved science and maths teachers in primary schools and upgraded the capacities of pupils through problem-solving approach.  But the Japanese government will give up its share of responsibility in February 2014 and this has raised anxiety among stakeholders over the certainty of the project.
There is at the moment no initial preparation to fill the vacancy after the Japanese bow-out, but NTI might be looking to a period of maths and science in their absence.
“We must take cognizance of the need to take appropriate care of SMASE training participants and those involve in carrying out SMASE activities,” Sharehu said at a meeting convened on the issue.
“The quality of training in SMASE Nigeria INSET in terms of content and delivery is rated high compared to INSET programmes,” said TRCN registrar Mark Nwokocha. “It is therefore our responsibility as stakeholders in education to embrace and support the programme.”
Also, the representative of the Director of the National Mathematical Centre Professor Adewale R. T. Solarin, Professor R. O Adetola said “we all support SMASE programme to continue.”
States are looking to include a budget line for SMASE in state spending. Director of SUBEB in Cross River, Victor Ironber, said  state governments must include SMASE funding in their annual budgets, if the project is to continue.
The Head of Department Academic Services, SUBEB Enugu, Chinelo Ude said the project should not be allowed to collapse and all stakeholders “including mothers must support it.”