Zamfara SUBEB bags Int’l Jolly Phonics 2017 award

From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

The Zamfara state Jolly Phonics project team has been awarded with the best 2017 International Jolly Phonics for being best in teaching under fun and child centred approach to teaching literacy through synthetic phonics as designed by the Universal Learning Solutions.
Presenting the award, the CEO of the UK-based nonprofit making organization, Universal Learning Solutions, Mr. Gary Foxcroft to the project team under Zamfara state Universal Basic Education Board (ZSUBEB) commended the performances have eventually moved the state to the next level in terms of using Jolly Phonics to educate even unexpected number of students.
The members of the award winning team were, Musa Almu, Mohammed Abbas and Nafisa Labaran who embarked on using actions for each of the 42 letter sounds, the multi-sensory method being very motivating for children and also for teachers, who can see their students achieve the desired goals.
“Since 2006, primary school teachers in Nigeria have also been benefiting from being trained and resourced in this method being philanthropic offer made by Jolly Learning Limited (UK), which has seen over 47,000 government primary school teachers receive Jolly Phonics training and 3.5 million pupil work books donated for free”, Mr. Gary has recalled.
According to him, “Such has been the great success of the project to date that many other countries, such as Ghana, India, Pakistan and Cameroon, are now looking to Nigeria as the leading nation in the use of Jolly Phonics to fight illiteracy”.
Mr. Gary further stated that, with the support from the SUBEB Chairman, Murtala Adamu Jangebe, the project has trained over 2,500 government school teachers in Jolly Phonics with ongoing monitoring and mentoring of teachers provided by the project team.
“We are once again proud of the great work carried out by the members of the project team in the state who have gone above and beyond what is expected of them to ensure the quality of the Jolly Phonics project in the state,” said Mr. Gary.
He stressed that, their levels of commitment, passion and dedication to the project has continued to inspire Universal Learning Solutions. “Our hope is now that, the State Universal Basic Education Board will maintain their support for the project so that many more children can access their right to literacy in Zamfara state”.