FBNBank Ghana joins forces to enhance teacher education

By Papa Yaw Danso, GNA

Accra, April 4, GNA - FBNBank Ghana Limited, in partnership with the Queen’s University of Canada, has launched a “One Million Teachers Project,” which is a social enterprise to enhance education in Ghana.

FBNBank and the partners rolled out the teacher development programme to improve the quality of teaching and learning throughout the country.

The “One Million Teachers Project” is structured as a continuous professional development programme to provide knowledge, infrastructure and the opportunity to form professional learning communities among teachers.

Mr Gbenga Odeyemi, the FBNBank Managing Director, explained that the partnership was to offer excellent teacher education in Ghana.

He said investment in education was an important initiative that could change the world.

Mr Odeyemi said the partnership formed part of the Bank’s four key community support initiative.

Mr Hakeem Subair, member of the “One Million Teachers Project” Team, explained that the partnership was to enhance education in Ghana and promote interest in the teaching profession.

He said with a smart phone, teachers could register for and participate in quality online training modules that took about 12 months on the average to complete.

He said participants progress through various levels or belts – white belt to black belt – getting badges as they achieve each milestones.

Attaining black belt triggers a host of benefits, including cash pay-outs and invitations to One Million Teachers programmes and events.

Mr Subair said: “Stakeholders will measure the performance of the teachers and would be rewarded in relation to how well they positively influence the students’ outcomes.”

He said the ultimate goal for this project would be to setup the One Million Teachers Centre of Excellence.   

Professor Jane Chin, from the Queen’s University Faculty of Education, pledged to empower and support teachers with knowledge, infrastructure, content of the training modules and the facilitation and development of professional learning communities.

She said the University was attracted to the project on account of its sustainability aspect.

She said the teacher-training model could run for years, adding that in developing content for the training the University would factor in the goals of teachers and what they wished to learn to deliver effectively.

GNA

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