By; USMAN NASIDI, Kaduna
A pressure group under Igabi Local Gov’t Area of Kaduna State, Rigasa Action And Awareness Forum (RAAF) has organized a one-day orientation programme for stakeholders of the community over the recent approval to establish a branch of the National Teachers Institute (NTI) Centre in the district.
The event which took place on Sunday at the Government Secondary School (GSS Makarfi Road) in Rigasa Kaduna District, was organized with the aim of ensuring that members of the community are beneficiaries of the centre and make judicious use of the opportunity appropriately.
Speaking during the event, the national Public Relations Officer (NTI), Malam Yusha’u Ahmad, stated that the creation of a branch of the NTI Centre branch in the district is a golden opportunity for the people of the region who have desire to teach, so that they can be trained in various disciplines professionally.
According to him, the NTI institute under the leadership of its national president, Professor Musa Bello Mai Tafsir, always emphasize on the need for people to create awareness over the importance of the NTI institute which is responsible for training teachers and it’s trying to ensure that it provide qualified teachers in the educational system.
He said, “The NTI Teachers Training Center is not only known in Nigeria but throughout Africa, because it is the only agency responsible for improving the skills of teachers in Nigeria, especially at the primary and secondary levels.”
“The National Teachers Institute (NTI) was established mainly because of the pressing need in the country for trained, qualified teaching staff at all levels and to improve the educational system at the primary and secondary levels with the aim of raising the standards of the system.”
Similarly, Yusha’u Ahmad explained that the centre provides courses of instruction leading to the upgrade, development and certification of Nigerian teachers as specified in the relevant syllabuses using the distant learning systems.
Commenting on the importance of education and the establishment of the NTI Centre branch, Engineer Aminu Abdulsalam, the Chairman National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools owners in Nigeria (NAPPS) of Igabi Local Government, explained that the establishment of the NTI Centre will ease greatly in the training of teachers in a simple way that is not even local.
Abdulsalam added that it is a great achievement for the community to have such a progressive Centre in the district, hence a lot of people who are aspiring to become teachers or are practicing have no clear understanding that there’s the need for them to go and acquire the teaching skills needed, and that has the tendency of improving their skills while it absence can lead to destruction of the educational system by providing corrupt education to the children as a result of lack of experience in teaching the students.
Furthermore, regarding the state of the educational system and the challenges been faced, Engr. Aminu complained on how some parents are trying to distort the education system by not allowing their children to complete their studies as the system provides but rather they’re seeking ways of promoting them to other levels.
He said, “The Nation Law mandates that a child must study according to 6.3.3.4 system, but nowadays some parents do not allow children to finish their primary school upto class six, before allowing them to go for a common entrance, and if the school owners refuses to accept their request, the parents will end up removing their children while the school owners are in need money to manage their affairs, which leaves them with no other option but rather to follow the parents opinion because some do even request for their children to go for the common entrance right from class four, but the system is not like that.”
On his remarks, RAAF President, Malam Aminu Halilu Umar, expressed joy and gratitude for the efforts being put in place by members of the community and the selfless efforts of the District Head of Rigasa, the Dan Galadiman Zazzau, for ensuring the that the NTI Centre is being establish in the district.
He said, “As an awareness forum and a pressure group in the community, we find it necessary and appropriate to get people informed about the importance of having the center which if it is not taken care of properly and maintained, the opportunity will be given to others who are ready to take care of it, and based on such kind of thought, we find it necessary to hold such awareness gathering at this time. “
The new leader of RAAF, who assumed duty recently, Malam Aminu H Umar disclosed that the establishment of the NTI Centre branch in the Rigasa district is an opportunity for the community, mostly especially women in the area who’s husbands thought having the main Centre far away from them is a bearer, but now that the distance has come closer to their homes, there’s a need for them to embrace it with their two-hands, so as to improve themselves.
