BRITISH COUNCIL SEEKS NCCE PARTNERSHIP FOR TEACHERS’ CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) is very much disposed to any partnership that would enhance education generally in Nigeria. Executive Secretary, NCCE, Professor Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle stated this on the 27th of March, 2023 in Abuja when he received the team from British Council in Nigeria to discuss the British Council’s programme that support Teachers’ capacity development and to explore possible areas of collaboration. The British Council through its English Programmes has developed three quality modules that focus on professional development in: Strengthening Teachers’ English Proficiency (STEP) for effective classroom delivery of all subjects where English is the medium of instruction, stimulating Teacher Resourcefulness in Digital Education using ICT and technology (STRIDE) and supporting Pedagogical Rigor in Networked Teaching (SPRINT) in the use of that technology to deliver blended and purely online training where such demand is warranted. Speaking on what informed the decision to interface with NCCE Management for a likely collaboration, British Council Nigeria Head of English for Education System, Fwanshishak Daniel said majority of the manpower British Council work with are actually from institutions that have affiliation with NCCE hence, the need to formalize it in a bid to collaborate with the Commission towards qualitative outcome. According to Daniel, “We need the NCCE to be aware of our activities and also to inform the Colleges of the activities we are doing” he explained that the programme is particularly between the Nigerian government and the British government. It is however, important that the Nigerian govern (NCCE) speak with the people through creating mutual and effective communication mechanism for the British Council to reach Colleges for information gathering in addition to granting Colleges express approval to key into the programme. Responding, the Executive Secretary described the initiative as timely, progressive and developmental. He asked that, a formal document in respect to the partnership stating the nitty-gritty of the proposed MoU and agreement that will better define roles and responsibility of each party be produce for urgent consideration and action going forward. He appreciated the initiative ad wished them productive action plan for effective and qualitative Teacher preparation for the Education Sector