My first Magazine EDUCARE MAGAZINE SPECIAL NOVEMBER EDITION 2019 | Page 14

14 great schools award
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great schools award
These Nigerian schools are teaching
more in a term than they used to in a year.
Here's how
S
ix in 10 people in Nigeria's
Edo state live on or under the
poverty line, and a poor
education system has been a
stumbling block to growth,
development and prosperity. Now, all
this is changing.
The governor of Edo state is
becoming an international symbol of
successful public-sector education
transformation. Godwin Obaseki has
become a trailblazer, quickly and
dramatically lifting the quality of
government schools and upskilling
teachers in his low-income state. He has
described his reforms - known as
EdoBEST - as a means of boosting the
economy and improving people's life
chances. Institutions such as the World
Bank and the IFC have been looking at
how Obaseki has so effectively
reformed state education in only one
year.
As of mid-June 2019 there were
almost 12,000 newly re-trained and
resourced government teachers across
the whole of Edo state. By September
2019 this four-year programme -
The adoption of a new
teaching philosophy and
associated classroom
techniques has left teachers
emboldened and
empowered in the
classroom.
cur rently celebrating its first
anniversary - will impact more than
300,000 children. Eventually every
single public primary and junior
secondary school in Edo will be part of
this statewide public system
transformation.
Education experts around the world
and across Africa in particular are
paying close attention to EdoBEST. It
has become a beacon of light to other
education ministries because it is
improving learning for marginalised
children and upskilling both novice and
experienced teachers at scale, within
existing state budgets and without
western aid. Importantly it is happening
within the existing system and been
delivered by existing teachers and
school leaders. Plus, it is happening fast.
This is a Nigerian solution to a Nigerian
problem.
The changes have been embraced at a
grassroots level, with both teachers and
union leaders celebrating the
investment in their work. Government
teachers are at the heart of the
transformation and are being coached
in some of the latest instructional and
pedagogical approaches.
The adoption of a new teaching
philosophy and associated classroom
techniques has left teachers
emboldened and empowered in the
classroom. They have been through
intensive retraining that focuses on
developing their teaching techniques
and classroom management to create
positive learning environments. They
are returning to work more motivated,
with new resources and knowledge
around how to create a more child-
centred classroom.
They are also
returning to the classroom as part of a
consistent suppor t network -
underpinned by technology - that will
see them benefit from ongoing
In the Nigerian state of Edo, bold educational reforms are transforming the lives of teachers and students alike. Image: Bridge International
Educare November 2019
Children as young as 10 hospitalised for self-harm
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
themselves to:
"
Rapidly reduce the tension in
their body and mind
"
Relieve their emotional pain
caused by feeling worthless, angry,
fearful, abandoned, depressed, anxious,
or trapped
"
Feel pain that tells them they
are "alive" thus warding off emotional
detachment
"
Regain control since turning
mental and emotional pain into physical
pain is easier for them to handle
"
Punish themselves for real or
perceived offenses like being bad, fat,
ugly, stupid, or guilty (for example, a
boy who feels guilty over the death of
his brother may challenge a bigger boy
to fight because he knows he will get
hurt)
"
Express anger/rage when
words or outward actions are
unacceptable or when the pain is too
severe to put into words (for example,
children may have been told that
expressing an emotion is wrong, or they
may have been severely punished for
expressing certain thoughts or feelings)
The most common methods of self-
injury are cutting with a razor blade or
broken glass, scratching, picking a
wound, burning skin, and pulling hair.
Self-hitting and head-banging are
usually associated with mentally delayed
or autistic children. Excessive piercing
or tattooing is not self-injury if the
primary purpose is body decoration or
to fit in with peers.
Some adults dismiss self-injurers as
manipulators and attention seekers, but
self-abuse is most often a hidden, secret
problem. A myth is that self-abusers
want to commit suicide. In fact, the
opposite is true. The cutting helps them
relieve emotions that might lead to
suicide. However, a serious concern is
that cutters risk danger each time they
injure themselves. They may misjudge
the depth of a cut or the wound may
become infected.
If individuals who self-harm do not
receive professional help, they may
develop an addiction. Cutting or other
self-injuries can be stopped, but the
process usually takes a long time. A
referral to a therapist who has expertise
in this area typically needs to be made.
Through therapy the self-injurers learn
that is it okay to feel a variety of
emotions and how to express them
openly. A therapist teaches them
alternative behaviors so that they can
profile
39
release their tension in
har mless ways.
Methods a therapist
might share include
relaxation and
breathing techniques,
meditation, exercise,
art, writing, or singing.
Support groups may
also be beneficial. The
self-injurer needs to
understand the
underlying motives for
their behavior and take
responsibility for, and
control over, their
actions.
What can parents
and teachers do?
"
Respond to
the child without
judgment.
Get him or her professional
"
help.
"
Model appropriate coping
skills when stressed.
"
Be a positive role model,
avoiding violent and unhealthy
behaviors.
Source: Leah Davies, M.Ed.
"
www.kellybear.com
Leah Davies received her Master's Degree from the
Department of Counseling and Counseling
Psychology, Auburn University. She has been
dedicated to the well-being of children for over 44
years as a certified teacher, counselor, prevention
specialist, parent, and grandparent.
Educare November 2019