Bayelsa Education Fund partners British Council, TTRCB to train 400 teachers, school leaders

Bayelsa Education Fund partners British Council, TTRCB to train 400 teachers, school leadersThe Bayelsa State Education Development Trust Fund (EDTF), in partnership with the British Council and Teachers Training Registration and Certification Board (TTRCB), has commenced a five-day training for 400 teachers and school leaders.The training, the fifth batch of the initiative, focuses on English language proficiency, digital teaching methods and leadership skills.Declaring the workshop open, the state Commissioner for Education, Dr Gentle Emelah, emphasised the importance of English language proficiency to improved academic performance.Emelah said Bayelsa had moved from being classified as educationally disadvantaged to ranking among the top 10 states in Nigeria in educational standards.He urged participants to take advantage of the training to improve their professional competence and contribute to better learning outcomes.The Executive Secretary of EDTF, Prof. Ebimieowei Etebu, said the initiative was designed to strengthen education delivery across the state.Etebu urged teachers and school leaders to embrace digital tools and teaching methods, despite challenges associated with adopting new approaches.He said the ultimate objective was to ensure that the skills acquired translated into measurable improvements in classroom teaching and learning.Mr Fwanshishak Daniel, Team Leader of the British Council delegation, described Bayelsa as a national leader in teacher development.Daniel said some innovations first piloted in Bayelsa, including teacher accountability learning contracts and state-funded mobile data for self-study, were being adopted in other parts of Nigeria.He said the measures had helped to improve teachers’ engagement and performance in professional development programmes.In a goodwill message, Dr Stellar Ugolo, Chairman of the Teachers Training Registration and Certification Board, urged teachers to maintain high professional standards.Ugolo also emphasised personal discipline and effective classroom management as essential components of quality teaching.The Executive Secretary/Permanent Secretary of the Post Primary Schools Board, Faith Ogbara, reaffirmed the board’s commitment to supporting teacher training initiatives.Ogbara said sustained investment in teachers’ professional development remained critical to improving education standards across Bayelsa.The five-day programme combines classroom engagement tools, digital integration strategies and school leadership development to enhance learning outcomes in schools across the state.