FCT, NGO train 1,000 Abuja school teachers on family life, health education

The FCT Education Secretariat, in collaboration with the Stand With A Girl (SWAG) initiative, an NGO, has trained no fewer than 1,000 school teachers across the six Area Councils of the FCT. 

These trainings organised by SWAG Initiative for teachers in Abuja were based on family life and health education to impact the knowledge into their students in class, especially those at the adolescent stage, with the support from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Speaking at the event, Mairiga Dangiwa, Head of Primary School Service in AMAC Local Education Area, said, “This training is crucial for achieving education for all, as it is a collective responsibility of society,” and he encouraged genuine partners to come and contribute, particularly in AMAC Local Education Area.

He said, “Teachers are being enlightened to go back to their classes to impact the students, and we want to advise the parents too to monitor their children’s behaviours at adolescent age.

While speaking on the theme ” Promoting Education for health and well-being in FCT,” the Executive Director of Stand With A Girl, Margaret Bolaji-Adegbola, stressed that the initiative is targeted at ensuring adolescent children have sound knowledge on family life and HIV education and not to fall victims of unintended pregnancy, STIs, drug addiction, among other vices. 

Represented by a member of the SWAG Team, said “Early unintended pregnancies are a significant challenge in Nigeria, especially in rural and low-income areas, with 23% of girls aged 15-19 already mothers or pregnant. 

“The O3 Project supported by UNESCO is addressing this by scaling up the Family Life and HIV Education (FLHE) curriculum and advocate for its integration into school curricula in the FCT, empowering adolescents and young people to thrive and reach their full potential by reducing teenage pregnancies, school dropouts, prevention of school violence and increasing access to adolescent-friendly health services.” 

According to her, SWAG Initiative is promoting adolescents and youths’ education, health and well-being by strengthening the educational system through meaningful engagement of education stakeholders in the FCT.

One of the participants and Head Teachers of LEA Primary Schools Maitama, Hajara Musa, posited that training will assist in ways and manners in counselling the girl child against sexual abuse. 

“With this knowledge, we are calling on the government to include sex education in school curriculum that will guide these children at the early stages of their lives.”

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