COVID-19: UNICEF, SUBEB Launch Radio, Tv, Program for School Children in Bauchi State
BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – The United Nations Children Fund, (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the state-owned broadcast media organisations (BATV and BRC), have launched a Radio and Television Learning Programme for Primary School pupils, Junior Secondary school students and Integrated Quranic School learners affected by COVID-19 closure of schools.
The Programme is a joint initiative by USAID, NEI, Master Trainers from the State Colleges of Education in Azare and Bauchi, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) and Bauchi State Polytechnic.
UNICEF Chief of Office in Bauchi office, Bhanu Pathak, who announced this on Wednesday while delivering a speech during the official launch of the programme at the Hazibal event center, Bauchi, said that the aim of the Programme is to provide technical support for the development of the education sector COVID-19 contingency plan as an integral part of the State response to ensure continuation of teaching and learning while children are at home as a result of COVID-19 outbreak.
He said that since schools have been shut down in the state as a result of COVID 19, millions of school children and their staff at all levels are currently staying at home, adding that with the indefinite closure of schools, not only are children missing out on education which is a fundamental right but are also exposed to more risks of educational setback such as examination failure and uprooting from school where they could have been taught and sensitized on COVID 19.
Pathak further said; “One of the response strategies of the plan is to develop context-appropriate strategies for continuous learning that allow pupils, teachers and schools to utilize flexible and remote/ home-based learning, which may include homework assignments, reading material, Radio, TV, online content, and internet-based learning. Past evidence has shown that delivering curriculum via radio and television can be an effective way of maintaining the learning process and student engagement”
“We hope to reach children and parents through the designed Radio and TV Literacy and Numeracy programmes for primary school pupils, Junior secondary school students and Quranic School learners. The programme includes sensitization messages on the key practices to prevent COVID-19 such as physical distancing, staying at home and regular practicing of personal hygiene,” the UNICEF boss said
Pathak said that the lessons will run from Monday to Friday on both Bauchi Radio Corporation, 12 community radio stations and Television stations in the state between 8:00 and 11:00 in the morning and between 5:00 and 6:00 in the evening, adding that the broadcasts will reach a total number of 1,694,375 children with lessons right in their homes.
In his own address, Chairman of SUBEB, Dr Abubakar Sirumbai Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi assured that the Board is committed to the success of the program, adding that the state government is interested in improved standard of education.
The Chief Executive Officers of the two state owned broadcast organizations, Idris Ibrahim Shall and Sirajo Ma’aji assured that the program will be aired as scheduled on the stations.