The Oyo State Government on Monday reiterated its commitment to capacity building in science and mathematics education, in line with its aim of restoring the pace-setting status of the state in education.
The Commissioner for Education, Mr. Adetokunbo Fayokun, said this during an interview shortly after declaring open the Oyo State 2013 Japan International Cooperation Agency, Strengthening Mathematics and Science Education/Inset Interventions Cycle I project at Queen’s School, Apata, Ibadan.
The two-week training workshop on science and mathematics is in collaboration with the Japanese agency.
The commissioner, who stressed the importance of collaboration in education, said, “There is need for training and retraining, as there is also the need for capacity building.
“We need to be doing this until the teachers are exposed to the best methodology in science and mathematics delivery.
“What we are having today is a collaboration with the Japanese government. We are getting partnership and intervention because the Japanese government sees seriousness on the part of the Oyo State Government on development.
“All hands must be on deck to give education the right direction, with a view to transforming its abysmal situation to something one can be proud of.
“Drastic steps have been taken by the present government to reposition the state from the deplorable condition it was in terms of education.
“Last year, we exposed our teachers to capacity building in all areas during the holiday. We are not limiting it to science and mathematics. This will help in boosting the standard of education and there is room for improvement. The private sector will also be carried along.”
He noted that this was necessary, considering the quality of science and mathematics education, which he said, had reached an acceptable level in the country.
He added that the workshop would expose teachers to globally acceptable standard.
Fayokun added, “There is need for training and retraining, as there is need for capacity building until the teachers are exposed to the best methodology in science and mathematics delivery.
“The government is looking up to the World Bank, African Development Bank, and UNICEF for further interventions. Ours is all-inclusive education policy. This is not strange, since no government in the world does the business of education alone.
“The training of our teachers in modern pedagogies really performed a lot of magic in moving our unacceptable 33rd position in an externally conducted examination to 21st position. As I always say, one digit position is our target.”
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Dr. Bashir Bello, said, “The Japanese International Corporation Agency had designed an international project for teaching in secondary school. There is no gainsaying the fact that the policy on transformation and repositioning of science and mathematics is overdue.
“If the teachers are impacted with quality knowledge, the learners would gain tremendously, as the knowledge cascades to them.
“The first set of 200 participants, who are attending this workshop, are expected to train their colleagues so as to let the knowledge spread.”
The coordinator, Japan International Cooperation Agency, who represented the Minister of Education, Ruqquayat Rufai, on the occasion, Prof. Aderemi Adedibu, said, “Nigeria is privileged to have a working relationship with the Japanese Government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency.”
