Why school managers should ‘install’ Jolly Phonics – FG

The Federal Government says it is imperative for school managers and the stakeholders in the education sector to install Jolly Phonics in order to teach literacy through synthetic phonics.

The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), Prof Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle, stated this in Abuja at the 15th Anniversary of Introducing Jolly Phonics into Nigerian Basic Education Schools organised by Universal Learning Solutions Initiative (ULS) in Abuja.

Jolly Phonics is a fun and child centred approach to teaching literacy through synthetic phonics. With actions for each of the 42 letter sounds, the multi-sensory method is very motivating for children.

The NCCE boss, who was represented by the Director of Early Grade Reading, Badmus Razak, said Jolly Phonics through its remarkable successes, came to reinstall the hope of many education stakeholders.

“Its significance for stakeholders in Education lies in the fact that, within a short period of 15 years, Jolly Phonics, through its systematic synthetic phonic has been able to promote, in no small measure, the development of literacy in Nigerian schools.”he said.

Similarly, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Dr Hamid Bobboyi said the Jolly Phonics teaching methodology has helped pupils  significantly in learning to read and write early..H added that the commission in the year 2012 entered into a partnership with ULS, the organizers of the Jolly Phonics Programme at a time when the level of literacy was very low in the Basic Education Sector.

“Since the inception of Jolly Phonics programme in Primary Schools in Nigeria, we are proud of the milestones recorded. In collaboration with the Universal Learning Solutions,(ULS),I am aware that 144,733 teachers, 5,755 UBEC, SUBEB and LGA officials have been trained while millions of children are being empowered to read and write across 36 states of the federation and FCT,” Bobboyi said.

The Country Director of Universal Learning Solutions, Patrick Uzu, said the biggest thing that can happen to any country is to be able to adapt.