Nigeria: Govt. Tasked on Implementing HIV Curriculum in Schools. 11/7/10
There is need for improved teachers and students' access to appropriate textbooks, reference and instructional materials
By Ekene Okoro
11 July 2010
Lagos — State Governments across the federation have been urged to give priority attention to the funding and implementation of Family Life and HIV Education (FLHE) curriculum in secondary schools.
The Executive Director, Action Health Incorporated, Mrs. Adenike Esiet, who spoke recently at the dissemination meeting on FLHE curriculum in Lagos State stressed the need for government to uphold basic programme design and implementation guidelines, which would help increase capacity building opportunities for classroom teachers and education administrators.
To make the programme attain impact, Esiet averred that there is need for improved teachers and students' access to appropriate textbooks, reference and instructional materials, adding that quality assurance systems should be strengthened to ensure scaling-up of effective teaching of sex education.
She commended Lagos State whom she said was the first state to fully initiate school-based curriculum implementation in 2003 revealing that 19 schools started the pilot programme.
According to her, "Action Health signed MoU with the Lagos State Government in 2003 to facilitate statewide FLHE teacher training and classroom implementation in over 300 public junior secondary schools. Key programming areas under this partnership have included policy advocacy, programme design, staff capacity-building, material development and concurrent evaluation of classroom delivery."
She listed some of the lessons from the implementation and evaluation of the programme in the state to include, careful planning, wide-range needs assessment, intensive introductory and refresher teacher training.
Others include high-level political commitment and funding by the state government and donors.
She also revealed that proactive consultation and stakeholder involvement helps prevent opposition to classroom teaching of FLHE, adding that the widespread access to requisite materials facilitates teaching and learning, while integrating of impact evaluation into the programme's basic design and implementation from the onset helps to generate data/insights for better management.
In her response, Lagos State Deputy Governor, Princess Sarah Sosan, commended the NGO for its forthrightness in tackling issues that affect students' sexuality.
Sosan who was represented at the event by the Chairman Lagos State Technical Education Board, Mrs. Taiwo Oyemade, further reiterated the state government's commitment to the promotion of virtues and moral uprightness among the youths. She described teaching as the biggest and greatest profession, adding that the implementation of FLHE curriculum has gone a long way in the state.