The Lagos State Government has partnered Microsoft to train 18,000 teachers in the state on digital literacy in a bid to achieving a world-best teaching and learning practices.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo, said this while discussing plans of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration for education on an online show, Covinspiration, which the Special Representative to the United Nations, and British Council Global Change-maker, Mr Dayo Israel, will moderate.
According to Adefisayo, COVID-19 lockdown period avails them the opportunity to improve the teachers. “For instance, we partnered Microsoft and they are teaching 18,000 of our teachers on digital literacy”.
The participants are meant to be equipped with computer skills like Word and Excel. The training will be done through the Zoom App as a result of the social distancing order. “So, first of all, they are learning to be computer literate straightaway”.
She further described computer literacy as apt at this point when technology is evolving for the advancement of teaching and learning processes.
For Adefisayo, the introduction of Eko Excel Programme, which was part of the administration’s THEMES agenda, had improved teaching and learning experiences in classrooms between the teachers and the pupils.
She added that both government and private sectors were investing in online teaching and learning now. “Devices are being given to students for online learning”.
She acknowledged: “We have continued to call for devices and people have continued to give us. We are going to start giving them out within a week. Parents will be excited.”
Notwithstanding, Adefisayo highlighted that the online digital class would not be stopped after the pandemic, rather, it would be used to reinforce teaching and learning.
“The ministry is at the final stage of recruitment processes for 2,000 teachers in order to boost the standard of public primary school education in the state,” she divulged.
Speaking further, she expressed that the government, through the ministry, was looking at employing teachers every quarter, as the rate of retirement of teachers is very high in the state.
“The Sanwo-Olu’s administration has granted the ministry permission to replace retired teachers. The most important aspect of learning is the quality of teachers. We do not have enough teachers to actualise the set plan for learning in our public schools,” she noted.
On school resumption, the commissioner said the government was watching the trend of the pandemic, adding, she said, “We cannot say specifically when we are going to open. We are also working with the federal government because it is not a decision that any state can take unilaterally”.
