Zulum Lauds Accelerated Learning Curriculum

Ugo Aliogo

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum has applauded the development of a national accelerated basics curriculum that would help to cut down on the number of out of school children in Nigeria.

Zulum gave the commendation recently in Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital at the close out meeting of the European Union funded education and livelihood project.

A statement by PLAN International said the curriculum was developed by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) with support from the European Union and Plan International and was piloted by the EU project in Borno state.

The Governor who was represented by Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RRR), Engr. Abba Yusuf thanked the EU for funding the project which renovated classrooms, constructed gender segregated latrines, new boreholes and distributed school bags, water bottles, biros, mathematical sets to 13, 800 students.

The statement said the three-year project was implemented by Plan International Nigeria led consortium with Save the Children and GEPaDc as partners.

EU Team Lead in Borno, Kabiru Abass called on the state government to grant automatic employment to the volunteer teachers trained by the project.

He said this would help to reduce overcrowded classes and return children back to school after dropping out. 

Earlier in his remarks, the Country Director of Plan International Nigeria, Charles Usie, who was represented by the Director of Programme Quality and Innovation, Jummai Musa, said the early recovery and resilience project began in 2019 and had supported the return and enrolment of more than 13, 000 children to school across Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC), Jere, Monguno, Gwoza, Magumeri, Biu, Mafa, Damboa, Konduga LGAs in Borno state, Northeast Nigeria.

The statement remarked that the 12years of conflict in North-eastern Nigeria has affected over 14.8 million people making it one of the worst global humanitarian disasters.

The statement noted that in the north east, according to UNICEF, an approximately 645 teachers were killed by Boko Haram insurgents, 19,000 teachers were displaced and over 1,500 schools were damaged, destroyed, or occupied by armed groups or by displaced populations.