Sterling Bank Plc, Nigeria’s leading commercial bank, has said it is lending support to a programme organised by The Teaching Network Foundation (TTNF) in a bid to improve the quality of teachers in Nigeria’s education sector.

The programme themed  “Introducing and Developing a Sustainable Assessment Strategy to Improve Teaching and Learning,” was held at the Scholars Crest International School, Ikeja in Lagos over the weekend. The guest speaker was Nicholas Dunn, the  International Assessment Resources Manager, Hodder Education, United Kingdom (UK)

 

Speaking on the programme, Eniola Obe, Education Sector Lead, Sterling Bank, said the bank decided to support the programme as part of a deliberate effort to contribute to the welfare of teachers and improve them professionally because they are the most important factor in the school system.

 

She said the bank is focused on education with a view to improving the quality of infrastructure in schools by providing modern technological equipment to teach children who are already technologically savvy. According to her, the bank is also interested in the education sector because it seeks to create a conducive environment for teaching as well as improve the quality of teachers.

 

Eniola said, “In Sterling Bank, we are focusing on five sectors of the Nigerian economy that are facing serious challenges.” The sectors which are regarded as the HEART of Sterling are Health, Education, Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Transportation.

 

She remarked that the bank is focusing on increasing and improving the number of children in schools because many children are unable to attend school as a result of being displaced while others stay at home because their parents cannot afford to pay the ever-increasing school fees charged by private schools.

 

Also speaking, Dr. Dolapo Ogunbawo, the Founder and Director of TTNF commended Sterling Bank for partnering with the foundation on the programme. She noted that the outcome of the training was wonderful, fantastic and beyond her expectation.

 

She explained that the foundation came into being as a result of her passion for the teaching profession, saying she is an advocate for teachers. “I know for us to raise the quality of education in Nigeria, we need to do a lot of work on the teachers,” she added.

 

“We need to give them what they need because teachers want to learn but they do not have the resources to do so because they are poorly paid.” She described TTNF as her own way of coming up with a strategy, a model that will help teachers to develop.

Nicholas Dunn of Hodder education, United Kingdom who was the guest speaker noted that he was excited at the idea of teachers working with teachers because of the peer to peer knowledge sharing it offered. He added that there is a lot of investment coming into the education sector in the country and that parents should pay more attention to the education being provided their wards.