Improving Teacher Capacity in Imo State on Family Life Health and Education (FLHE) and School Violence Prevention

On October 24, 2024, a significant milestone was achieved in Imo State with the launch of a training program to enhance the skills of 1,111 teachers. The event, led by the Honorable Commission for Primary and Secondary Education, Prof. Johncliff Nwadike, including key figures such as the Permanent Secretary, Barr. Mrs. Chinyere Ibeh, the Executive Secretary of the Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB), Dame Faustina Azubike the Acting Executive Chairman of the Imo State Universal Basic Education Board, Mrs. Ifeoma Okeke and other directors from the Ministry of Education, SEMB and SUBEB, was held at Government Secondary School Owerri.

This event marks the beginning of a series of training sessions that will extend to three additional local government areas (LGAs) in Imo State. The initiative was organized by the Community & Youth Development Initiatives (CYDI) in partnership with the Imo State Ministry of Primary & Secondary Education, with support from UNESCO’s Abuja National Office.

The primary objective of this training is to enhance the capacity of teachers to deliver quality Education for Health and Wellbeing in schools. The program focuses on several key areas:

1.  Assembly Talks: Equipping teachers to convey accurate information on Family Life and Health Education (FLHE) and Education for Health and Wellbeing during school assemblies.
2.  Curriculum Delivery: Training teachers to effectively deliver curriculum-based FLHE/EHW to students.
3.  Support Links: Helping teachers connect students who require additional support to referral and service delivery points.
4.  Reporting Capacity: Strengthening teachers’ ability to report on FLHE-based activities within schools.

The training will be conducted across four LGAs in Imo State: Ikeduru, Owerri Municipal, Owerri West, and Owerri North.

Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive. After the training session in Owerri Municipal, teachers expressed their gratitude for the wealth of knowledge they gained. Many developed actionable plans to integrate their newfound insights into their ongoing school-based curricular and co-curricular activities.

Most importantly, this event represents a vital step forward in equipping teachers with the necessary tools to foster health and well-being education, ultimately benefiting the students of Imo State.