The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has appealed for an increment in partnerships and budgetary allocations to improve the literacy and numeracy levels of conflict affected children in north-east Nigeria.
UNICEF Education Specialist, Dr. Yusuf Ismail said this on Monday during a briefing with journalists in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Ismail said that more than 270,000 children have benefited from the Teaching at the Right Methodology (TARL) in north-east Nigeria.
He added that the methodology is helping children who could not read and write to do so under nine months.
According to Ismail, the TARL methodology, which is supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has been deployed in 537 schools.
He added that Borno State was the first to partner with UNICEF to pilot TARL classes in 12 schools in 2018.
“UNICEF is supporting government to deliver and accelerate results for vulnerable children. Quality education is a right of every child and that is why the TARL methodology is bridging a gap not only in north-east Nigeria but in other parts of the world.
“With the support of FCDO, we are ensuring that children are actually learning in school.
“The TARL methodology enables them to read and write first in the Hausa language and then the English Language.
“We have success stories with this methodology. We are changing the tide and addressing the learning crises where over 70 per cent of 10-year-olds in the country can neither read nor write,’’ said Ismail.
Ismail further urged governments in north-east Nigeria to invest more in education so reach more children, particularly in rural communities.
“There is no doubt that we can do more. For every child who has the opportunity to learn with the TARL methodology, there are maybe 10 others who do not.
” In 2021, the Kebbi State Government secured federal funds to pilot TARL in 122 schools. As we commemorate the International Day of Education, we are appealing to the government in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe to increase budgetary allocation that will lead to an improvement in the quality of learning,’’ he said.
