By Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse
The Jigawa State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has launched a new strategy to tackle the challenges facing child education in the state.
During a four-day capacity-building workshop on the Learning Lab Approach for leaders, teachers, and other stakeholders, Mr. Habeeb Saleh, UNICEF Education Officer for Kano Field Office, outlined the initiative’s objectives.
He explained that the training aims to equip participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to address the educational gaps in Jigawa.
“The Learning Lab approach is part of the European Union (EU)-funded programme, ‘Education and Youth Empowerment in North-West Nigeria,’ which seeks to increase the number of girls and boys benefitting from safe, inclusive, and relevant learning and skills development opportunities in Jigawa, Kano, and Sokoto states,” Mr. Habeeb said.
He further explained that the Learning Lab concept is an interactive, physical, and digital learning space, designed to be highly immersive and contextualised within the school ecosystem.
“As the principal mechanism for school-based teacher development, the Learning Lab aims to bring together teachers, head teachers, experts, government agencies, development partners, and other stakeholders to develop school-based solutions that enhance teaching and learning,” he noted.
Mr. Habeeb emphasised that the Learning Lab provides a platform for teachers to test new ideas, experiment with innovative teaching methods, apply training from Teacher Professional Development (TPD) sessions to classroom lessons, and review and reflect on their practices.
It also encourages teachers to share insights gained from hands-on practice.
“The aim of the Learning Lab is to equip school leaders, teachers, and stakeholders with the necessary tools and skills to effectively implement foundational literacy, numeracy, and Early Childhood Care (ECC) in their respective schools,” he added.
The training is also designed to enhance the capacity of members of the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) to implement the Learning Lab Approach across 10 selected schools in Birnin Kudu, Hadejia, and Kazaure local government areas.
Mr. Habeeb highlighted the significant challenges facing schools in Jigawa, particularly in foundational literacy and numeracy, and stressed the need for capacity building at all levels of the education system.
He referenced data from school assessments, which indicate that many children are not achieving the desired proficiency in these key areas, thus hindering their long-term academic success.
“This training will address these gaps by equipping instructional leaders and school support teams with the necessary skills,” he said.
The programme also focuses on strengthening leadership and support structures at both the state and local government levels.
“School leaders, instructional leadership teams, and support officers need targeted professional development to effectively coach and mentor teachers in implementing evidence-based practices that lead to improved learning outcomes,” he said.
Additionally, Mr. Habeeb stressed the importance of engaging community stakeholders, such as School-Based Management Committees (SBMCs) and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), to foster a supportive learning environment.
“Engaging these groups through capacity building will promote stronger school-community partnerships and ensure accountability in monitoring learning outcomes,” he concluded.
