The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with the American University of Nigeria (AUN) is to re-establish basic education in the conflict-ravaged areas of the Northeast.
A statement by the U.S. Embassy on Friday in Abuja said that the university partnership would help strengthen basic education for 200,000 students in Adamawa and Gombe states.
It quoted USAID Education Office Director Denise O’Toole as saying that under a three-year 13.3 million dollars agreement, AUN would collaborate with Columbia and Kent State universities in the U.S.
“The collaboration also involves local government and community leaders to implement ‘Addressing Education in Northeast Nigeria’ (AENN) to improve the ability of education managers to plan and deliver basic services in-line with the states’ education sector strategy.
“”There will be a special emphasis on training female leaders.
“AENN will also address the social and emotional challenges that both educators and learners face from the disruptions caused by extremists insurgency.
“This new activity focuses on some of the most vulnerable areas of Nigeria, where insurgents have made eradication of education a specific tenet of their policy,” said Denise O’Toole, the USAID education office director.
“Our support helps a major institute of higher learning in the Northeast re-establish the basics of primary education for thousands of students,” he said.
According to him, AENN will address the daunting challenges facing the education systems in Adamawa and Gombe by training 100 education managers, improving the instructional skills of 5,000 teachers, and focusing specific training for female teachers in 200 primary schools.
He said that those efforts were expected to improve the learning outcomes for 200,000 primary school boys and girls.
“”Access to education in the Northeast has severely declined since the Boko Haram and Islamic State-West Africa insurgencies began displacing families and communities a decade ago.
“”AENN will address the resulting acute educational needs while laying a foundation to rebuild and transform the education system.
“”It will help provide educational continuity, stabilise instutional capacity, improve the quality of teaching and learning, increase equitable access, and integrate peace building and safety considerations into school communities,” he said.
(NAN)