By Edebor Esther
In its continuous effort to revolutionize education and enhance learning outcomes, the Edo State Government has taken stride to extend its e-learning initiatives to secondary and technical schools through the issuance of educational tablets to the current batch of trained 414 teachers from technical and secondary schools across the State.
Speaking at the onboarding exercise, The Commissioner for Education, Dr. Joan Oviawe stated that State Government is committed to sustain its technology-driven transformation in education, “By September, teachers and students in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges, as well as secondary schools across the State, will receive educational tablets. The focus of this training is to train teachers who can impact their knowledge to their peers, thereby creating a self-sustaining cycle of innovation and progress within the education ecosystem,” Dr. Oviawe said.
The Commissioner emphasized the important roles of teachers in driving the transformative impact of technology in education. “You are here to be trained to be a trainer; I want to congratulate you for volunteering to be a trainer and for being selected from the many who applied. This is a fantastic opportunity for any serious professional. It is not a one-off thing; we are going to continue training you and because you are in this program, you are now in our line of catch,” she added.
Dr. Oviawe assured the State Government’s supports to the educators in the discharge of their duties. “We are committed to providing all the tools you need to excel in your roles as trainers,” she assured. She encouraged open communication and urged the teachers to provide valuable feedbacks as they navigate the new technological landscape.
While addressing the EDOSTAR fellows who were about half of the trainees, the Commissioner said, “What you are doing now is probation; we want to employ a new generation of teachers who are committed to the profession. The State Government cannot continue to invest in payment of teachers’ salaries and our children are not learning in our school. In order to be a teacher in Edo State, you must be professional, competent, capable, teachable, willing to impact and transform after your evaluation which will begin this academic year. Only those who meet with these expectations will be given appointment letters, while those who would not will be let go off.”
Earlier, the education consultant, Chinelo revealed that the exercise was the first batch of pivoting and testing the functionalities of the teaching tablets. She stated that the overarching vision is to equip all students and teachers in public schools across the State with educational tablets, noting that the transition does not signal the abandonment of the traditional teaching methods, which include scripted lessons but instead, the tablets serve as a complementary tool to enhance the overall teaching and learning experiences.
The distributed tablets are installed with a range of features designed to facilitate effective teaching and learning activities which include scripted lessons, academic calendar, and educational applications such as ‘teesas,’ which will aid teachers in conducting academic researches.
Notably, the tablets also incorporate a harmonized timetable and offer the capability to manage students’ attendance efficiently. The technological advancement signifies a significant leap towards a more streamlined and efficient educational process, empowering educators with advanced tools and variety of techniques.
