Following the increased cases of sexual and gender-based violence and other social-environmental issues in Nigeria, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Abuja, in collaboration with the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), has commenced a two-day training for school-based guidance/counsellors and dedicated school-based management community members across the 21 local government of the state.
The two-day state-level training is centred on the general principles of Environmental/Social Safeguard and other Safeguarding measures aimed at improving the social and environmental status of schools in the state.
In her address, while declaring the training held at the ASUBEB Headquarters Awka, on Wednesday, the ASUBEB Executive Chairman, Prof Vera Nkiru Nwadinobi said the training was also in line with the Healthy Living Initiative of the state governor’s wife, Mrs Nonye Soludo to further educate the people, especially the school children on the benefits of living a healthy life.
She said, “We in Anambra State are particularly glad that the Commission has integrated environmental and social Safeguarding into its core activities and has chosen Anambra State as one of the beneficiaries of the program.
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“According to her, I say this because the importance of Safeguarding our immediate or school environment can not be overlooked or overemphasized. The surroundings in which we live or in which we have our schools and other training facilities must be well-kept and maintained to ensure healthy living standards.
“The two-day training, we believe, will provide guidance on how best we can employ the general principles of environmental and social Safeguarding to systematically manage unintended social and environmental impacts such as restrictions on access to or use of natural resources.”
While urging the participants to listen attentively to all lectures in the two-day programme to institutionalise the environmental and social safeguard measures in Anambra schools, Prof Nwadinobi assured the training team from Abuja that they are willing and ready to not just learn the principles of environmental and social Safeguarding but ready to put into practice to enhance the school environment and make them secure and safe enough for everyone in the state.
The UBEC training team leader, Barrister Eucharia Ohuoha, in her brief remark, said the programme is to sensitize the people of Anambra State, mostly the teachers and the pupils to be conscious of their environment always.
In their separate reactions, the participants described the training as the first of its kind in Anambra State.
They commended the ASUBEB boss for attracting the programme to the state.
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