The Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board conducted a three-day refresher training for approximately 321 teachers on the Reading and Numeracy Activities (RANA) teaching methodology. Supported by the World Bank, this training is part of the RANA programme’s phase three, aimed at improving literacy and numeracy instruction in grades one to three, particularly in public schools and integrated Quranic schools.
RANA, a three-year project funded by DFID through UNICEF as part of the Girls Education Programme Phase 3, focuses on enhancing literacy outcomes, especially for girls, by developing Hausa-language teaching and learning materials, building teacher capacity, mobilizing communities, and engaging local governments to enhance early grade reading policies.
Under the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme, the recent training aims to equip teachers with effective teaching methodologies that they can then implement in their classrooms. Josephine Michael, the Head of Education Management Information System of KADSUBEB, emphasized that the trained teachers would disseminate the acquired knowledge to their pupils, ensuring that teaching is conducted in Hausa, the language familiar to the pupils.
The Kaduna State Government envisions that by primary three, pupils should be able to identify letters, sounds, read simple sentences, perform basic addition, and comprehend simple stories. Michael highlighted the child-centered methodology of the RANA programme, which includes play, songs, and actions, leading to improved learning outcomes.
Feedback from participants, such as Shehu Bashari from Zaria LGA and Rahab Benjamin from Kaura LGA, underscores the positive impact of the RANA programme. Bashari noted significant improvements in his pupils’ learning capacity after implementing the methodology, while Benjamin shared a personal success story of teaching her niece, who previously struggled with reading, using RANA’s techniques.
Overall, the RANA programme continues to demonstrate its effectiveness in enhancing literacy and numeracy outcomes among pupils in Kaduna State, emphasizing the importance of child-centered teaching methodologies and community engagement in improving educational standards.
