Abuja – A group of educationists from the UK and Nigeria has launched a roundtable to enable them to exchange ideas on how to develop teaching skills for the benefit of both countries’ education sectors.
The leader of the UK group, Mr Mark Taylor, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that teachers from Nigerian private and public schools were participating in the roundtable.
Taylor said that the roundtable became necessary in view of the need to share teaching experiences and ideas for the development of the education sector.
“I spoke to Nigerians both in Abuja and in Lagos and suggested (that) rather than schools coming here just to recruit, they can actually come here to share their professional teaching experiences with other professional colleagues in Nigeria.
“To swop ideas, to swop good practice, ways of teaching for the benefit of all Nigerian students not just those that are fortunate enough to be able to travel to the UK.
“And we want to reach out not just teachers in private schools but teachers in public school;
“It’s going to be an initiative that is useful for teachers, they will share ideas, look at ways of developing teaching skills so they can pass that on to the students.’’
Taylor, who said that the workshop would hold twice a year, urged government at all levels to make their specific areas of interest known to the group.
Also speaking, the Managing Consultant, ALTS Consulting, Mrs Foluke Sawyerr, said that the roundtable was aimed at addressing the dwindling quality of education in the country.
She said that Nigerian kids’ desire to study abroad had risen drastically in the last five years.
According to her, the workshop will help the teachers from the UK understand the Nigerian environment and the constraints to acquiring quality education.
“We have about 60 teachers from this school (British Nigerian Academy); and then we have (some) from five other schools in Abuja.
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
“But this training is not going to be held only in Abuja; we had a session yesterday and we had teachers from Jos, we had teachers from schools in Minna; we had teachers from the outskirts of Abuja.
“We are going to Lagos tomorrow and we have two additional days in Lagos; and we are going to have teachers from the state schools as well as private schools.
“It is not just teachers from private schools; it is a mix of teachers that are benefiting
from this.’’
She said that the roundtable was being facilitated by the Taylor Partnership (UK Immigration Law Specialists); UK Trade and Investment; ALTS Consulting; and some UK educators. (NAN)