The Bayelsa State Education Development Trust Fund, in partnership with the Teachers Training, Registration and Certification Board and Australia’s Matific Pedagogy Academy, has commenced a four-day training for teachers on modern, technology-driven methods of teaching Mathematics.
Declaring the programme open, the Commissioner for Education, Dr Gentle Emelah, said continuous professional development was essential for teachers.
Emelah urged participants to create engaging classroom environments that would help pupils overcome their fear of Mathematics.
“The best way to learn Mathematics is to do Mathematics. Teachers must encourage children, create curiosity and bring out the potential in every learner,” he said.
He congratulated teachers in the state on their performance in the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria Professional Qualifying Examination and charged them to sustain the momentum.
Representing the Executive Secretary of the EDTF, Prof. Ebimiowei Etebu, Mr George Ombeh said Mathematics remained the foundation for scientific, technological and economic advancement.
Ombeh said the training, powered by Matific, would expose teachers to innovative approaches focused on conceptual understanding, critical thinking, personalised learning and interactive engagement.
He said 123 teachers drawn from the eight local government areas of the state were participating in the programme and would have access to over 2,000 curriculum-aligned learning activities.
The Customer Success Manager and Business Development Executive at Matific, Ali Munhaimin, said the programme would make Mathematics more practical and enjoyable for pupils through interactive digital activities, while giving teachers tools to monitor learners’ progress.
The Executive Chairman of the TTRCB, Mrs Peremoboere Ugolo, enjoined participants to take the training seriously and apply the knowledge gained in their classrooms.
Ugolo said Mathematics was connected to everyday life and urged teachers to change the negative perception of the subject.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, State Post Primary Schools Board, Mr Faith Ogbara, commended the EDTF, TTRCB and Matific for the initiative, saying it would improve learning outcomes in the state.
The Chairman of the EDTF Sub-Committee on Development Partners, Dr Alice Atuwo, said the programme would run throughout the academic session with monitoring by the EDTF, the Ministry of Education and other relevant agencies.
Atuwo added that participating teachers would receive tablets loaded with learning tools to support effective Mathematics instruction.
