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Repositioning low-cost schools for effective technological learning

By Ujunwa Atueyi
14 June 2018   |   3:20 am
The consensus of stakeholders, who converged at the 2018 National Congress of Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED), was that no nation could achieve 21st century learning without technology.

PHOTO: Shutterstock

The consensus of stakeholders, who converged at the 2018 National Congress of Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED), was that no nation could achieve 21st century learning without technology.

Thus the desire of owners of low-cost private schools under the umbrella body of AFED to incorporate technological education into their operations was described as a right step in the right direction.

The group had during their yearly congress themed, “Bridging the Gap in Education Quality: The Role of Technology in Low-Fee Schools,” pleaded with the Federal Government to institute a special fund that will provide a single digit loan to operators of low-cost private schools to enable them deploy the use of technology in their operations, in the interest of the Nigerian child.

The keynote speaker and Director General, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Ronke Soyombo, while corroborating the position of the association, stated that technology has brought overwhelming change in the teaching and learning sector saying schools must absorb this change and flow with the trend.

According to her, the leadership of AFED is committed to its principle of providing quality education for low-income earners in the state, which is in tandem with governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s policy on compulsory and qualitative education in the state.

“No doubt, AFED has built a niche for itself by making sure the less privileged kids have access to quality education, irrespective of background, as a fundamental right for empowerment, self sustenance, freedom and overall success to guard against being at the lowest rung of the ladder. AFED has recorded continual success in the improvement of its schools.

“Therefore, there is need for AFED schools to begin repositioning students to harness, create and leverage on local and global opportunities; meet the growing demand for technological skills which include, logical reasoning, problem solving, design and creativity. This is also the reason government has given AFED schools 40 slots out of 60 meant for Code Lagos training programme. Children from low-cost schools shouldn’t be left behind.”

Commending members of the group for their desire to unlock the development of technological innovations for the benefit of the low-fee and low-income institutions in Nigeria, Soyombo asserted, “AFED schools, are indeed the bedrock to achieving the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for teaching.”

National President of the group, Mrs. Esther Dada, said members need financial support to acquire technological equipment, upgrade classrooms, service teachers’ salary and acquire technical competence to deliver quality teaching and learning, thus the need for single digit interest loan.

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