The National Teachers’ Institute (NTI) has begun training school teachers on Moral HIV/AIDS Awareness in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
NAN reports that the participants at the workshop were headteachers, health personnel, guidance and counsellors, Islamic and Christian religious teachers in basic education from the six north-central states, including the FCT.
The NTI director-general, Professor Garba Azare, at the inaguration of the training in Lokoja Tuesday, said that the moral HIV/AIDS component of the SDGs workshop was equally important due to its intended benefits of ensuring good health and healthy living in schools.
“It is only healthy children and teachers that can aim to achieve the much needed socio-economic physical and mental capabilities.
“We urge that the workshop be given its desired attention and importance in order to rally support from key education stakeholders for the programme,” he said.
Represented by the registrar of the institute, Mr Mohammed Usman, Azare assured the federal government of the institute’s readiness to work closely with them to achieve the set agenda for quality education in the country.
The chairman, NTI governing council, Malam Kaka Yale, said the moral component was especially relevant considering the role it could play in creating awareness of HIV/AIDS scourge and marshalling out strategies of combating its prevalence in the society.
Yale said the target audience which was basically teachers were rooted in religious education and guidance and counselling, and are expected to propagate the message in their respective schools.
Yale who was represented by the director, physical planning of the federal ministry of education, Mr Jonathan Mbaaka, enjoined all the participants to pay attention during the workshop that would help to make the necessary impact at basic level.
Also, Kogi state commissioner for education, science and technology, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, urged the participants to spread the knowledge to various states.
She said that the state government had trained teachers and school managers on curriculum and quality assurance, as steps taken to restore standard and quality education in schools across the state.
