Bauchi Field Office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) organized an inter-school quiz competition on Climate Change to commemorate the 2023 World Children’s Day.
The event, held on Friday at the Oricon Hotel in Azare, aimed to create awareness of Climate Change among secondary school students, making them active participants in understanding climatic conditions.
UNICEF emphasized that the focus is to transform students into Climate Change Ambassadors, increasing awareness of issues surrounding climate change.
Dr. Clement Adams, Officer in Charge of Bauchi UNICEF Field Office, stated that this year’s World Children’s Day aims to draw attention to climate change and its impact on children and their learning environment.
“UNICEF supported these schools to incorporate climate change education into their curriculum,” he added.
The quiz, designed to expose participants to the importance of climate change, focused on various issues related to this global concern.
Halima Umar, the UNICEF Focal Person for the State Universal Basic Education, clarified that the competition aimed to inspire students to read their books and become better students, not to create panic.
She commended UNICEF for organizing the quiz competition, noting that it would instil in the children a culture of reading.
Government Junior Secondary School Unguwar Hadejia in Shira Local Government Area of Bauchi State emerged as the winner at the end of the competition, defeating two other schools – Government Day Junior Secondary School, Yana, and Government Junior Secondary Katagum.
The quiz was moderated by judges who are senior lecturers from Aminu Saleh College of Education (ASCOE), Dr. Mahmud Mohammed and Dr. Fatima Binta Haruna.
As part of this year’s World Children’s Day celebration on November 20th, UNICEF took groups of journalists to selected schools in Shira and Zaki local government areas of the state.
The visit comes one year after UNICEF introduced Climate Change Study into the curriculum of Upper Basic Schools (Junior Secondary schools), encouraging students to engage in massive tree planting and other environmental protection activities around the schools.
During a visit to Government Day Junior School in Sakwa, Zaki LGA on Friday, the UNICEF team assessed the impact of incorporating climate change study into the school curriculum.
Abdullahi Idris Sakwa, one of the teachers, emphasised the importance of teaching students about climate change at the junior level, averting potential dangers in the future as the students grow up well aware of nature and how to handle it.
“We have about 100 students in our Nature Club. They have projects that they carried out, preaching afforestation against deforestation in our little community,” Sakwa said.
He highlighted that the students learn about waste recycling, erosion control, and many other aspects related to climate change.
Ibrahim Halliru, a JSS 3 student and a member of the Nature Club, mentioned how the Club has educated him on different seasons and their effects, making him conscious of climate-related issues. He has also introduced climate change practices in his immediate environment.
Another female member of the Nature Club observed positive changes in the school environment since the introduction of the climate change course, with trees providing shelter and producing fresh oxygen. She encouraged her peers to join the Nature Club.
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