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ABUJA – The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in collaboration with Osun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and Universal Learning Solutions, UK (ULS), have commenced a 6-day training for public primary school teachers in the State on the use of jolly phonics in teaching and learning.
Jolly phonics is a systematic synthetic phonics method of teaching that combines stories, the sounds of the alphabets, actions, music, and songs, in teaching to make learning more interactive, comprehensible, and enjoyable.
The training, which ends on August 30, 2025, is part of the Teachers Professional Development Programme of UBEC.
Organisers of the training disclosed, it is aimed at ensuring that teachers in public primary schools in Osun state are delivering literacy teaching using global best practices for sustainable teaching and learning.
Flagging off the training on August 25, 2025, the Executive Chairman of Osun SUBEB, Hon. Ibukun Fadipe Ishola, said the annual training, which started about a decade ago, has equipped teachers to enhance the writing and reading skills of pupils across Osun state and beyond.
Represented by Osun SUBEB’s Full Time Member 1, Prince Banji Fadehan, the Executive Chairman commended UBEC and Osun SUBEB for introducing jolly phonics into the curriculum of pupils in public primary schools in the state.
Hon. Ishola said the programme has helped children to read, write, and communicate fluently since its introduction by Osun SUBEB into the curriculum of teaching at the basic level in the state.
In addition to its interactive nature, Hon. Ishola said jolly phonics is equally engaging and enjoyable because it is multi-sensory, incorporating actions, songs, and stories, making learning enjoyable and memorable for the learner.
To make the Jolly Phonics programme more impactful, the Chairman of the Osun SUBEB underscored the need to integrate more technology into the programme to enhance the teaching pedagogies, the need for continuous assessment, learners’ tracking, and feedback, and parental involvement in teaching modules, etc.
He added that it has contributed immensely to improving the writing and reading skills of teachers as well as their pupils through a logical sequence, helping pupils and students build on prior knowledge and grasp new concepts easily.
More so, the Executive Chairman of Osun SUBEB, noted that the principles used in jolly phonics enhance and boost teachers’ confidence in teaching, enabling them to deliver effectively on their mandate as teachers.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of ULS (UK), Gary Foxcroft, explained that the effectiveness of the jolly phonics programme, saying its fun and interactive approach, rooted in the systematic synthetic phonics methodology, has endeared it to many teachers and learners across the world.
Represented by the ULS Country Director, Patrick Uzu, the ULS boss described jolly phonics as a globally recognized brand, stressing that it is the best for equipping children with essential reading and writing skills because of its children-centered approaches and quick impact on reading skills.
He believes the project offers a wonderful chance for all children in Osun State to learn to read and write, thereby fostering greater equity and equal opportunities.
According to Gary, the positive impacts of the jolly phonics programme in Osun state can be seen through the improved literacy levels within public primary schools over the few years that it was introduced in the state.
Mr Gary also acknowledged the continuous support of UBEC for the use of the jolly phonics programme in public primary schools, which has made it a household brand in the education sector in Nigeria, adding that this support has enabled jolly phonics to be implemented in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.