The Universal Learning Solution Initiative (ULSI), Jolly Phonics Training Partners to Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has adjudged Cross River State the best performing jolly Phonics State in Nigeria.
Members of the Organization made this known during a courtesy visit to the Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
Speaking during the visit, the Project Director, ULSI, Louise Gittins expressed gratitude to the board and the State Government for the successes recorded in the area of Jolly Phonics.
She said, the 2015 refresher  course for train-the-trainer teachers and primary 1 and 2 teachers was successful due to the co-operation of the Board.
Congratulating Cross River State for being the leading State in Nigeria in Jolly Phonics, Gittins however, appealed to the board to step up monitoring exercise in all schools to check teaching activities of Jolly Phonics, as well as provide more books to guide learners in junior classes.
On his part, the Executive Chairman SUBEB, Stephen Odey, thanked Universal Learning Solution Initiative (ULSI) for implementing the Jolly Phonics Programme in Nigeria, stating that, the importance of the programme cannot be over-emphasized.
The SUBEB boss, who pledged to promote and sustain the Jolly Phonics Programme, said “Cross River State is very passionate about education, and we will continue to promote and sustain any project that will move basic education in the state to greater heights,” he emphasized.
The training which is funded by UBEC in conjunction with SUBEB is a play-way method of teaching sounds to enable pupils read. Pupils are taught how to read and write using the 42 letter sounds.
He emphasized that, this is a new method of teaching which was introduced into Cross River State in 2011 by Stepping Stone, a Non-Governmental United Kingdom based organisation that is into literacy, but it was later renamed universal learning solution.

Friday Nwagbara, Calabar