By AbdulRaheem Aodu
Kaduna
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has commended the National Teachers Institute (NTI) and education stakeholders in the country for continuing with the training of teachers under the Strengthening Mathematics and Science Education (SMASE) programme in the country.
Addressing the closing ceremony of the Cycle II 3rd Cohort training for teachers from Katsina, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and Enugu states, at the SMASE centre, Kaduna, JICA representative, Halima Ahmed said the agency, who withdrew its support for the programme in February 2014, seven year after it started, would continue to monitor SMASE progress and to support training programmes for Nigerian teachers in Malaysia, Japan and Kenya.
“When JICA started its support of SMASE programme in 2006, we started with three states; Niger, Kaduna and Plateau, now we have all states participating due to the support of the stakeholders. We will continue to support SMASE through monitoring and offer you foreign training in Malaysia, Japan and Kenya. Science and mathematics is the backbone of any country.”
The NTI Director General, DR Aminu Sharehu, who was represented by Prince Sunday Kolawole, tasked the 65 participants from the five states to cascade the training to their colleagues at the state level to enable more pupils benefit from their training and their knowledge.
“The era of waiting for thousands of naira before training your colleagues is gone, share what you have learnt with your colleagues and let what you have learnt show in the performance of your pupils. We have trained about 195 teachers in the cycle II 3rd cohort others would come.”