ESSPIN trainings transform teachers

“These trainings are clearly changing the education landscape of Jigawa state. SSOs are confidently making the training charts themselves and even the head teachers are responding better to the trainings.”
These were the words of Aminu Na Malia, a member of Jigawa’s State School Improvement Team, the SSIT. He and his colleagues are leading the implementation of ESSPIN’s School Improvement Package in all public schools in the state. The school Improvement Package which ESSPIN introduced ensures that many factors that need to be addressed in order to improve basic education all happen simultaneously.
ESSPIN is supporting improvement in quality teaching and learning in Jigawa and six other states of Nigeria through a harmonized school improvement process. This will ensure that children who are enrolled in public schools develop needed skills and knowledge to serve them throughout their lives.

“Since the trainings started there have been a lot of behavioral changes on our side. Even the way I respond to the challenges of trainings has changed as well. Our work is now all about sharing experiences and supporting others to improve on their work” says Na Malia.
All aspects of the School Improvement Package are being funded by the Jigawa State government and it has demonstrated total commitment to improving the quality of basic education using the ESSPIN model.
Still, Na Malia says, “One can clearly see that the teacher’s expectations are quite high whenever they turn up for the trainings. The participants are enthusiastic and more participatory now.”
It is becoming evident that the wheels of progress are beginning to turn in the right direction regarding basic education in Jigawa. ESSPIN is ensuring that support is provided at several levels at the same time: support to schools is accompanied by strong support to communities, to state and local governments and also to policies made at the federal level.
It is from such support that Aminu Na Malia and his SSIT colleagues are benefiting, and are in turn improving the trainings they offer to School Support Officers and Head Teachers in the state.

“Personally I have begun to see a lot of changes and I know this transformation will soon be seen all over the state. I am happy the SUBEB is funding the scheme where many teachers will benefit” says an enthusiastic Na Malia.