By Milcah Tanimu
The Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) recently conducted a three-day refresher training for approximately 321 teachers on the Reading and Numeracy Activities (RANA) teaching methodology. Supported by the World Bank, this training is part of phase three of the RANA program aimed at enhancing literacy and numeracy instruction in grades one to three, particularly in public schools and integrated Quranic schools.
RANA, funded by DFID through UNICEF as part of the Girls Education Programme Phase 3, focuses on improving literacy outcomes for learners, especially girls, by developing Hausa-language teaching and learning materials, building teacher capacity, mobilizing communities, and engaging local governments to enhance early grade reading policies.
Under the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) program, the three-day refresher training seeks to empower teachers to effectively implement RANA methodologies in classrooms. According to Josephine Michael, the Head of Education Management Information System at KADSUBEB, the trained teachers will cascade the knowledge gained to their colleagues in state government schools, enabling them to adopt child-centered approaches and effectively teach in the Hausa language, the immediate language of the pupils’ environment.
Michael emphasized the government’s goal for pupils to achieve specific literacy and numeracy milestones by primary three, including identifying letters, sounds, reading simple sentences, performing simple addition, and comprehending basic stories. The RANA program, introduced in 2019, has shown promising results, with significant improvements in children’s learning outcomes attributed to its child-centered methodology, incorporating play, songs, and actions in the learning process.
Testimonials from participants, such as Shehu Bashari and Rahab Benjamin, highlight the positive impact of the RANA program on both classroom teaching and household education. Bashari noted the program’s effectiveness in accelerating pupil learning, while Benjamin shared her success in teaching her niece using RANA methodologies.
The participants, including RANA mentors, coaches, and master trainers, represent teachers from all 23 LGAs in Kaduna State, underscoring the widespread implementation and potential impact of the RANA program on early grade education in the region.
