The Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria Education (PLANE) Project held a training workshop in Kano state from 20th – 21st July 2022 with 69 participants (46 male and 23 females) from the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Ministry of Education and State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) staff from Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa (KKJ) states, School-Based Management Committee (SBMC), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), members of State Technical Working Group, Headteachers, Consultants, and PLANE staff. The workshop aims to analyze the findings from the school leadership interview and school leadership training package outlines. Also, to discuss issues related to school safeguarding and inclusion and develop a one-year plan for the KKJ states and the school report card, school development plan, and learners’ assessment, as well as develop a standard template for reporting such activities.
The State Technical Lead (STL) for Kano state gave an overview of PLANE activities in the three-intervention states (Kaduna, Kano, and Jigawa) and briefed the participants on the workshop’s aim, which was later summarized to develop content for school leadership training. The Acting PLANE Output 1 Lead, Edward Ishaku, explained the workshop objectives and urged the participants to make valuable input to have a manual on inclusive school leadership and safeguarding for the training of Headteachers, teachers, and School Based Management Committee (SBMC) members.
The first presentation was based on survey findings from headteacher interviews. The survey aimed to understand the needs of Headteachers and SBMC members and inform the PLANE school leadership training. The identified gaps are a Lack of adequate school development plan and uniformity in the adoption of school development plans across the state, a Lack of knowledge on safeguarding and school leadership skills, and School activities hampered by rising cases of insecurity. The recommendations given by the interviewers are: Conduct training on Safeguarding, School leadership, and train all SBMC members on the safeguarding policy in all the PLANE intervention LGAs in the states. Conduct training on how to enhance a safe and enabling environment, especially for girls to learn, to improve staff and student performance, and Train the four newly selected LGAs Takai, Karaye, Minjibir, and Gabasawa of Kano state in the School Development Plan, to ensure uniformity of the format. The agreed next step was based on the recommendation to train headteachers and selected SBMC members three times a year on inclusive school leadership and inculcating the culture of record keeping in the teachers and headteachers was emphasized and should be captured in our curriculum. Other presentations were Outline of Inclusive School Training, the participants reviewed the drafted outline and made recommendations. School Record Keeping was presented, problems were identified, and possible solutions were proffered. The participants were introduced to Safeguarding, which was harmonized into the PLANE work plan for year 1. Additional presentations included. Introduction to Inclusion and Strategies; School Development Plan (SDP) and School Self-Evaluation and how to use the SDP to address insecurity; School Assessment, and School Report Card. The TRCN presented on Professional Standards for Leadership, Promoting Children’s Self-Esteem, and the Roles of Local Government Education Areas (LGEAs) and SUBEB in Building School Leadership. The presentations will be harnessed into the Inclusive school leadership training manual.
