Will dRPC’s initiative improve learning in public schools?

Although much of the centre’s attention in the project was focused on public schools because of the seeming presence of such materials in the private schools, some private schools where the materials seemed inadequate are also identified and supported. While the dRPC continued to support and boost the capacity of some nongovernmental organisations during the […]

Although much of the centre’s attention in the project was focused on public schools because of the seeming presence of such materials in the private schools, some private schools where the materials seemed inadequate are also identified and supported.

While the dRPC continued to support and boost the capacity of some nongovernmental organisations during the period 2007-2009 toward achieving development goals, its main focus during this period was on expanding capacity of more schools for implementing the new national integrated Early Child Care and Development Policy of the government.

The dPRC’s ECD team led by Alhaji Tnusa Dan Musa and Alhaji Abdul Hamid Inuwa conducted numerous assessment visits throughout Kano to identify schools which were aware of the new ECCD policy and were trying to implement it, and had dedicated ECCD teachers who were not yet trained.

Between 2006 and 2009, dRPC trained 146 teachers from public and private schools in Kano on the government’s new ECCD policy and made donations of instructional materials and teaching aids of over 1 million naira. Materials donated include stationery, play items and other instructional materials, first aid items, sanitation and hygiene items, among others.

The topics covered in the training programs were aimed at supporting the new ECCD policy of the Federal government as adopted by the state government. The Centre has developed a comprehensive training guide in English and Hausa languages focusing on core elements of child development such as nutrition, first aid, reading and writing through the child to child method, creative play, among others.

The ECCU National Roundtable of 18th July 2007 has drawn a total of 21 participants out of whom five participants represent State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEB) of five states – Kano, Kaduna, Yobe, Sokoto and Bauchi states. The roundtable also drew nine participants representing non-governmental organizations such as the Save the Children and ENHANSE; 1 journalist, 1 representative of UNICEF Kano, as well as four representatives of the dRPC.

The recommendations of the ECCU National Roundtable included the need to develop indigenous strategies to integrate nutrition and health into ECCI centres and programs at community level. This calls for intensive health education training for teachers of ECCD centres and classes

The participants also emphasized on adequate funding, which is required for ECCD centres especially for play spaces and soft instructional materials.

“Capacity building for teachers and caregivers must be built into the government’s attempt to introduce ECCD as a policy, and there must be advocacy, mobilization and sensitization of all stakeholders about the benefits of ECCD,” the participants said.

The roundtable also recommended that there must be effective and transparent utilization of FGN-UBE intervention funds, just as there is a need to share experiences and methods for making local instructional materials.

Other recommendations were that there must be an emphasis on learning through exploration and experimentation in the environment and there should be an equal emphasis on pre and in-service training programs as well as collaboration with government and NGO training organizations.

They therefore highlighted that effective fundraising must be explored to empower community ECCD schools and centres to sustain themselves, saying the new ECCD curriculum should be simplified, translated and made available in all schools.

However, Pyramid Trust observes that just as there is inadequacy of such materials donated by the dRPC, a burden lies at the shoulder of the centre as the impact of the donations was felt in limited areas.