Knowledge Exchange Program

Many teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa lack basic qualifications, access to quality training and continuous professional development throughout their careers to keep up with emerging changes in education (UNESCO, 2022). If teachers lack qualifications to teach, their ability to impart knowledge to their pupils and students are compromised. Regrettably this is the unfortunate reality of many Government schools in Nigeria, poorly, affecting learning outcomes of school children.

Our goal at ACE Education is to improve the quality of education in the Nigerian Government educational sector by equipping teachers with the capacity to provide quality, multilingual teaching. We do this through our Knowledge Exchange Program (KEP).

What is KEP?

KEP is a 7-day intensive training initiative that provides Government school teachers in Nigeria with comprehensive professional development. We collaborate with qualified volunteer teachers from the UK who travel overseas (Nigeria) to conduct these training sessions directly with local teachers. Our volunteers train on modern and updated teaching methodologies as well as multilingual teaching concepts.

Our approach to multilingual teaching through KEP

In 2022, Nigeria took a critical step towards adopting multilingual education in schools under its new language policy on mandating local language instruction in primary education. This approach, validated by numerous studies fosters literacy and enhances comprehension, however, the implementation of this in Nigeria, has been challenging. Many teachers have not been fully equipped with the capacity to teach in a local language and need training in multilingual teaching methodologies.

This is why the KEP initiative not only focuses on training teachers on basic skills but also on equipping them with the capacity to excel in multilingual teaching. In addition to our volunteer teachers sharing their expertise on multilingual pedagogies and modern teaching concepts, an exciting part of the program involves participation with our award-winning audio educational program (ACE Radio School for teachers).

ACE Radio School for teachers is an educational initiative that broadcasts quality multilingual education to underserved areas through radio. Within our KEP program, volunteer teachers have the unique opportunity to engage with this initiative. They deliver joint training and collaborate with our skilled ACE Radio School teachers, who are experts in delivering multilingual education, specifically in Nigerian native languages. Additionally, volunteer teachers develop lesson scripts that are recorded, produced and broadcasted. This aspect of the program underscores our commitment to inclusivity and sustainability, aiming to make training more accessible and appealing. By radio broadcast, we reach more beneficiaries, particularly underserved, less privileged, and vulnerable Nigerian local teachers who may not have access to our training opportunities.

During the training program, volunteer teachers will..

Co-design a lesson plan that captures modern teaching methodologies with the aim of enhancing teaching skills of fellow teachers.

Train teachers on how to deliver effective teaching that will enhance learning outcomes of pupils and students.

Build their network through the opportunity to engage with peers and diverse stakeholders both within and beyond our beneficiary communities.

Gain insights into global perspectives and learning benefits through exposure, valuable for continuous personal development.

Engage in multicultural learning exchanges by connecting with individuals from diverse backgrounds, regions, and cultures.