Secondary school leaders in Yola better understand the issues their students face after attending Grace & Light’s workshop for teachers.

Forty-four teachers from 11 private and state secondary schools spent a day in March discussing responses to corruption and poverty in education.

They shared issues they and their students face including bullying, intimidation, sexual exploitation, cheating, lying and stealing, with Grace & Light programme officer Pofi Josiah.

They also looked at trauma healing for students, understanding what teenagers go through and how to respond in a caring and supportive way; plus sexual and gender-based violence issues from the perspective of students.

Pofi said “The delegates realised they and their schools were not doing well. They acknowledged systemic corruption, how they are covering for each other and helping pupils cheat during exams. We helped them see this is a problem not just for them, but for school leaders right across Nigeria.

“These leaders also are much more aware of sexual and gender violence. They understand that pupils are not concentrating because they are suffering. They said they would begin to take this issue seriously rather than disciplining students for not concentrating.”

Delegates were nominated by their schools and were a mix of vice principals and senior teachers. This is Grace & Light’s first teachers conference since Covid.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for:

• The teachers who attended the workshop, as they apply what they heard back in their classrooms and schools
• They will be supported by other leaders and teachers in their schools who did not attend the workshop.