BayelsaPRIME: Gov. Diri’s Basic Education Masterstroke

BayelsaPRIME, a technology based basic education reform programme, is aimed at delivering dramatic improvements in learning outcomes in public schools across Bayelsa state, writes Oluchi Chibuzor

As the sun rose on Monday 30, January 2023 in Trofani town Bayelsa state, primary school pupils, teachers and headteachers also rose in anticipation of a new term and beginning. Teachers were particularly excited yet apprehensive about the prospect of the new start.

Two weeks before resumption day, over 2,000 teachers and headteachers drawn from four local government areas had been in Yenagoa for a special reason. They were at the BayelsaPRIME Induction Training which kickstarted Governor Douye Diri’s basic education reform programme.

Coined out of the words Bayelsa Promoting Reform to Improve & Modernise Education, BayelsaPRIME is designed to cause a major transformation in the way classes are conducted and how pupils across the pilot 222 primary schools receive learning.

The induction training provided an opportunity to upskill teachers and steer their energies in the direction of a whole new methodology which has been proven to deliver exceptional results, especially in low income and minority communities.  

“We came into school knowing that we had been equipped to do things differently and better. But we just didn’t know what the result or the response of the children was going to be on day-one,” said Amanda Akpogumere, who is a teacher at Community Primary School II, Trofani, Sagbama local government area.

“By the third day we started seeing things we had never seen before,” she said, her eyes widening in excitement. “The children were the ones inviting their fellow pupils to come to school because the environment was suddenly more inviting, exciting, accommodation and child-friendly.”

What makes BayelsaPRIME different?

BayelsaPRIME is a technology based basic education reform programme aimed at delivering dramatic improvements in learning outcomes in public schools across Bayelsa state. The programme is transforming government primary schools into powerful public schools using innovative technology and data-driven platforms, quality learning materials, effective teacher professional development and ongoing coaching, and technology-enabled support teams who deliver 360-degree support to all stakeholders in the school ecosystem on a daily basis.

Regardless of a child’s location, income or education levels of the child’s parents, all children in state-owned schools now have a chance to thrive and succeed academically.

Under BayelsaPRIME all children are properly profiled into a database that enables policy makers track their academic progress with a view of helping them succeed. Under the programme, learning outcomes are critical and strategies aimed at improving them are at the core of school activities.

It all begins with the training of the teachers. During their 10-day induction training, teachers are taught to develop a whole new mindset of possibilities. They are accultured to look on the bright side and consider all pupils as potential champions who should be assisted and encouraged to attain their full potential.

Key themes at the training include pupil motivation, modern classroom management techniques, child protection, the place of technology in deliver of impactful lessons, amongst other important topics.

During the training, each teacher is assigned a teacher-tablets which facilitates teaching and learning back in school. Lesson guides are sent to the teachers through the tablets to ensure that a structured approach to teaching is attained across all schools and classrooms simultaneously. Through the tablets, teachers who are not teaching and those who are not punctual in school can be identified for counselling and reorientation.

The tablets also serve as a source of information and news from the Bayelsa State Universal Basic Education Board (Bayelsa SUBEB) and the State Ministry of Education. It is the tool through which school attendance is electronically recorded for teachers and pupils.

“On the first day of resumption teachers were enthusiastic to mark arrival using the teacher tablet. Unlike in the past when teachers could come late and still sign 7.30am in the school register, most teachers were in school at the right time to sync with the headteacher’s smartphone,” said Amanda.

The headteacher smartphone of which Amanda spoke is the smartphone assigned to each headteacher. Applications in it ensure that schools and teachers are optimally managed. It is the only device required to access the internet periodically for BayelsaPRIME to function.

The Gap everyone knows

BayelsaPRIME was launched by Governor Diri to address specific gaps in the basic education system which are not peculiar to Bayelsa state. Nigeria is experiencing learning poverty as an estimated 70 percent of 10-year-olds cannot read, understand a simple sentence or perform basic numeracy task, according to the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

The challenge has been attributed to factors including, poor funding of schools, low quality and skill level of teachers, availability of teachers in schools and other factors outside the school system.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) says the current number of out-of-school children in Nigeria stands at 20 million. Globally the figure is 244 million with India, Nigeria and Pakistan contributing the highest figures globally.

 At a seminar in 2022, UNICEF Communication Specialist, Geoffrey Njoku, noted that there is no way the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be achieved by 2030 without focusing on children’s rights and education.

 BayelsaPRIME is designed to place Bayelsa state on the path of attaining SDG 4 which specifically addresses education and lifelong learning. Governor Diri is ensuring that the right amount of time and resources are being deployed to attain the programme’s objectives.  In complete compliance to the governor’s intentions, the Ministry of Education and State Universal Basic Education Board are working hand-in-hand to see to the success of BayelsaPRIME.

While speaking at the last Bayelsa Education Summit, the Honourable commissioner for Education, Dr. Gentle Emelah noted that “the educational sector which lies in the plans, policies for pedagogical engagement and strategies of government would require proper evaluation and overhauling to meet with the needs of society as we gradually approach the first half of the 21st Century.” BayelsaPRIME is a strategic programme aimed at meeting that need through better learning outcomes.

Speaking on her initial assessment of the programme in her school Amanda notes that, “if we are able to maintain this tempo with which we started, the children will benefit. We are using songs, cheers, energizers to make the classrooms more interesting for them. From what we can see they are learning better.”