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Lagos State government has commenced a comprehensive computer literacy programme involving teachers and counselors in all primary and secondary schools as part of its effort aimed at improving learning and teaching techniques.
The Commissioner for Science and Technology, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat who disclosed this recently during a capacity-building programme, said it was imperative that all the teachers in the state were trained in the art and science of computer operations.
“Beyond the above, the capacity-building programme was robustly designed to enhance proper administrative procedures and security of documents in the schools and to develop computational skills of their students,” he said.
He explained that majority of the activities in the state “are now technologically driven unlike the last decade. It becomes expedient to train all the staff, particularly, our teachers who are the trainers.”
According to Hamzat, the old system of backing the students and facing the black board is over, he said, adding that the programme would be vigorously pursued so as to increase the capacity building of the teachers.
The course contents, he said were in three modules which included computing fundamentals, key applications and on-line computer networking concepts and the internet.
On the criteria for selecting the participants, Hamzat said his ministry, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, would pick candidates from the six education districts across the state, while the Ministry of Science and Technology, in conjunction with the council chairmen would also nominate participants for the empowerment programmes.
The participants at the programme tasked the government to adequately upgrade the classrooms to meet their needs and that it should make provisions for uninterrupted supply of power to aid effective use of computer in the teaching and learning of various subjects and that the duration of the training should be extended.
Commending the state government for the programme, the “Batch 5” participating teachers from 24 schools, described the training as “very enriching and timely”. Spokesperson of the batch, Ogunaike Ganiyu Adedeji from Igbo-Owu Senior Secondary School in Mushin said government has done well, adding that such programme should be on regular basis.
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