Teach For Nigeria (TFN), a Non- Governmental Organisation, has inducted over 280 cohort of fellow teachers who will help to ensure that every Nigerian child has the opportunity to receive quality education.
The induction was done by the NGO as part of the 2021 closing ceremony of its training institutes and the unveiling of its fifth cohort of fellows in Lagos on Saturday.
The Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, Miss Folawe Omikunle, said that 44,068 graduates registered, 7,927 graduates completed their registrations and 303 accepted the offer based on the fellowship applications received for 2021.
“This five-week training programme was done both in virtual form and physically and the cohort fellows are to resume for the next academic session in September in Ogun.
“We trained them intensively both physically and online and we will place them to teach in underserved schools or schools that lack teachers.
“They are to teach for a two-year period. They are not being recruited as permanent teachers but to provide solutions to challenges occurring in the classrooms or even in the community,” she said.
Omikunle added that the NGO members approached their work in a very unique way whereby they were able to recruit outstanding fresh graduates,young professionals and educators through a highly process of selection.
“We are working toward developing a critical mass of leaders for the education ecosystem.
“Our plan is to get to a level where we will have equitable universal education across Nigeria,” she said.
Omikunle also stated that they were well structured, adding that the new fellows had the support of the existing alumni and fellows who were already in different schools and communities.
“We also have coaches who will be mentoring the new fellows by visiting them in their classrooms, and observing their teaching methods and give us their feedbacks.
“Currently, our impact is in-depth and focusing on how we can strengthen our impacts in the state we are now before moving to other states,” she said.
Mr Olubankole Wellington, also known as ‘Banky W’, a prolific singer, advised the fellows to choose to be the agent of light in their classrooms and communities.
“After the training ,you might experience some lukewarm attitudes in schools or communities but focus on being the agent of light in every situation.
“Choose to celebrate the process not just the results, fix Nigeria by helping at least one child to get quality education,” he said.
Wellington also urged them to keep investing in knowledge, skills and careers in order to impact more knowledge into the pupils and students they would be teaching.
Mrs Alero Ayida-Otobo, a Board Member of the NGO also urged the fellows to fix and transform the crisis and the decadence bedevilling education in the country.
Ayida-Otobo said that they were releasing the fellows to be the change agents,nation builders, solution providers,strategic thinkers and support systems in schools.
“I urge you all to solve any problems in schools, live a life of sacrifice, support each other and connects with other fellows to survive and excel,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Teach For Nigeria’s focus is how to enlist Nigeria’s most promising future leaders in the effort to expand educational and life opportunities for all Nigerian children.(NAN)
