There was excitement in state-owned schools across Bayelsa State as primary school pupils in Ogbia, Sagbama, Kolokuma/Opokuma and Yenagoa local government areas celebrated World Youth Skills Day on July 14.
A first of its kind in the state, children were seen in different professional attires as they dressed to portray their aspirational careers. First introduced in 2014, World Youth Skills Day holds globally on July 15 each year. It is used to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship.
The theme for the World Youth Skills Day 2023 “Skilling teachers, trainers and youth for a transformative future” highlights the essential role that teachers, trainers and other educators play in providing skills for youth to transition to the labour market and to actively engage in their communities and societies.
The theme resonates strongly with the focus of Bayelsa State Universal Basic Education Board and the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education who are currently implementing BayelsaPRIME (Bayelsa Promoting Reform to Improve and Modernise Education), the basic education reform programme of the government.
Since inception in early 2023, the reform has led to an improvement in the teaching style of teachers in the school system. The programme has also empowered and upskilled teachers to use technology in teaching.
Over 2000 teachers in all 222 schools where the programme has been implemented have been equipped with teacher tablets while 222 headteachers now use smart phones, enabled with specific software relevant to school management, to manage their schools.
Some of the teachers who spoke about the reform programme commended the governor for introducing BayelsaPRIME to the school system as they were elated that their students demonstrated interests in respectable career paths.
