SUBEB, Stakeholders Brainstorm On Impact Of E-Learning

The Niger state Universal Basic Education (NSUBEB) and stakeholders on Monday met to assess the impact of e-learning programme introduced for primary school pupils during the COVID -19 lockdown.

Alhaji Mohammed Saidu, the Coordinator of “On Air Learning Programme”, said it was introduced to keep children abreast with the school curriculum during the lockdown.

He disclosed that Niger SUBEB was one of the first to come up with the concept of lesson broadcasting on all media outfits in the state.

Saidu said six lead facilitators were drawn from the Niger State College of Education, Departments of Mathematics, English, Basic Science, and Social Studies.

He said that 38 teachers from various public schools were selected on merit as facilitators for content delivery on air from Mondays to Fridays.

According to him,  the programme has been ongoing for 26 weeks and about 70 per cent of the lessons have been on air.

Dr Isah Adamu, the chairman of NSUBEB said the meeting was to enable the board to evaluate the performance of e-learning to see how effective it had been and areas it needed to improve on .

He explained that there was the need to change the timing of the programme to include transcription of lessons using WhatsApp and facebook to engage children in rural communities.

Adamu added that a 7-member committee had been set up to advise the board on whether to continue with the programme in spite that s schools had resumed.

Also speaking,  Prof. Thomas Alabi of the Educational Technology Department, Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna commended NSUBEB for initiating the e-learning programme for children.

“I have been in Niger state for the past 50 years, this is the first time such breakthrough is happening and with this, Niger is a step ahead of other states,” he said.

Mr Liman Kutigi, the chairman of Niger State Parents Teachers Association (PTA), lauded the efforts of NSUBEB in ensuring that children were engaged in e-learning rather than being left idle during the COVID-19 lockdown.

He called on rural dwellers to take advantage of the programme rather than taking their children to the farm while the programme was  ongoing.

According to him, parents can take their radio sets to the farm to listen to the programme while its going on.

Mr Francis Elisha, the Field Officer, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Kaduna, commended the initiative and pledged UNICEF’s support to achieve better results for e-learning for children.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NSUBEB had on April 4, introduced on air teaching and learning activities to support and enhance childrens’ knowledge during the COVID -19 lockdown.