The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has commenced the training of 150 teachers, parents and stakeholders on its Joyful Parental Engagement Programme in Benue state.
Selected for the training which kicked off at the RCM Primary School, Daudu, Guma Local Government Areas, LGAs, of the state and also scheduled to hold in Otukpo and Vandeikya LGAs, are parents, Early Childhood Care Development, ECCD, teachers, women, community leaders, youths and the Education Secretaries of the selected LGAs among others.
The UNICEF Education Specialist, Enugu Field Office, Dr. Agatha Nzeribe explained that 50 participants were expected to be trained in each of the three LGAs with the aim of helping them understand the importance of play as part of the process of teaching children both at home and the school environment.
According to her: “What UNICEF aims to achieve with the training is to ensure the learning of children through playing, both at home and in the school. In the schools, we are training the teachers to use the child-centered play way methods and approaches.
“After learning in the school they get home and what happens in the home is also critical. So we are working at putting play in children’s work, because children learn best when they have opportunity to play; you can teach a child anything through play.
“We have brought in the parents, teachers, community members amongs others so that we can create a synergy between what happens at home and the school. We will be training 50 participants in each of the three LGAs. So we will eventually do Vandeikya and Otukpo LGAs, next week.
“We are expecting the prepared environment for learning in the early years of the child and the prepared environment is for giving children skills to transit learning to other classes.”
One of the resources persons from the College of Education Oju, Dr. Terkula Uyeh explained that the concept was about playful parental engagement “which is about involving parents at homes or playground to play with their children through which they learn.
“This programme is to help parents know how to engage children at home. We are adopting the Reggio Emilia approach to learning which is about education for the poor that focuses on wondering with children about what they experience, think and feel and on encouraging children to make sense of their world.
A participant and Clan Head of Nyiev Council Ward, Chief Gowon Unzughun who described the training as first of its kind commended UNICEF for introducing the learning appraoch and also lauded the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, for giving him the opportunity to be one of the benefiaries.
He said, “this workshop has helped me to know how best to train my children that are within the ages of two and five. As a traditional ruler I will ensure that my subjects embrace this approach to learning and we will all get to work to help our children learn through play.”
A women leader and Head Teacher of RCM Primary School, Daudu, Mrs. Rebecca Tsokar who said it was her first time as a teacher to experience the approach for teaching children promised to step down the training for teachers “and I will also take it to the church and community meeting because when we teach our children at home it makes it easier for them to be taught in school.”