Dr Stephen Odey, Executive Chairman, Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), has commended the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for providing funds for “strengthening Mathematics and Science Education (SMASE) Cycle Three Workshop for Science and Mathematics Teachers in the State’’.
He gave the commendation on Thursday at the College of Education Akamkpa venue of the training workshop.
Odey said the training programme for primary school teachers with the theme, “Actualising the gains of SMASE for Improved Teaching & Learning,’’ will add value to the basic education sub-sector in the state.
“We are gratitude to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for providing funds used for this training programme.
“I also extend our gratitude to other stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Education, for their various contributions,’’ he said.
Odey, represented by the Director of Administration, Mr Emmanuel Ojong, urged the trainees to actively participate in the programme to enhance their knowledge of Science and Mathematics.
According to him, SUBEB considers the training as a matter of utmost importance.
“This is because having passed through the last two cycles of training as science and mathematics teachers, you are adequately prepared for the cycle three training, which is the actualisation of the knowledge gained from previous trainings.
“I, therefore, implore every participant to be fully involved in all the activities, in order to make the training a huge success, ‘’ he said.
Mr Chimezie Aguiyi, National Coordinator, Strengthening Mathematics and Science Education (SMASE), Federal Ministry of Education, noted that the first phase of the SMASE Nigeria Project captured three pilot states (Kaduna, Plateau and Niger).
According to him, following the successes recorded the Federal Ministry of Education extended it to other states, including Cross River.
He said that since the Phase Two of the project, which was in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) ended in 2014, but the Nigerian Government has been sustaining the project.
Aguiyi added that there had been continuous expansion of the SMASE Nigeria project in the pilot and non-pilot states.
He urged the trainees to make active use of the opportunity to enable them transmit same to other teachers in their respective zones.
The SMASE in-service training is a system of re-training teachers in the delivery of mathematics and science curricula, organised on a three-tier (National, State and Local) cascading system and School Based Training (SBT).
The training programme involves National trainers, state trainers; and those who train core teachers in their respective states, as well as the local level core classroom teachers selected from schools across the state.
Cross River has 200 participants and the training which ends on July 16.
