Teach for Nigeria to advance learning experience for 3,000 underprivileged students

Teach for Nigeria, a nonprofit organisation in an effort to put an end to educational inequity has launched a fellowship programme to advance the learning experiences of 3,000 underprivileged and low income school students in Lagos and Ogun States. 

Under the flagship fellowship programme, Teach for Nigeria would recruit, train and support 60 outstanding individuals from Nigeria to commit to teach for a minimum of two years in underserved schools, and become leaders in the effort to increase educational opportunity throughout Nigeria.

Folawe Omikunle, CEO of Teach for Nigeria while speaking at the launch of the Organisation in Lagos said Teach For Nigeria will place teachers in underserved schools serving children in underserved schools in low-income communities in Lagos and Ogun State for the first phase and provide them with the training and development they need to help lead each student toward personal and academic excellence.

Omikunle said after the fellowship, alumni of Teach for Nigeria are given the opportunity to build on their classroom teaching experience and hence drive long-term systemic changes as they progress into leadership roles in their varied professions.

She further said that the first cohort of 60 Fellows will be placed in September adding that the recruited graduates and professionals will be given an opportunity to teach in schools where they are most needed.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (NESCO), 12 percent of the global needs for teachers exist in Nigeria, the highest in the world. At the same time, Nigeria accounts for the largest number of out of school children in the world.

“I strongly believe that the only true and sustainable path to improving educational opportunities for all children in our country is by channeling and developing our nation’s most capable human resources against this problem of educational injustice.” She said.

Gbenga Oyebode, Chairman of Teach For Nigeria, said that the disparity in the quality of education between rich and the poor pupils, as well as income inequality, is responsible for the incidence of crime, poverty and injustice in the country.

He, therefore, advanced solutions, which he said should include educating all children regardless of their socio-economic background and developing our best talents as Leaders for education.

Teach For Nigeria has launched its recruitment campaign and online portal, where aspiring fellows can find information and register for the training programme and joins the Teach For All network and its partners from across the globe in recruiting and developing promising future leaders to teach in their nations’ high-need schools and communities and, with this foundation, to work with others, inside and outside of education, to ensure all children are able to fulfill their potential.

KELECHI EWUZIE