By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
Bauchi State Ministry of Education and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), with support from the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi Field Office (BFO) have commemorated the belated 2024 International Day of Education.
As part of the activities commemorating the day, UNICEF BFO brought together State actors and Journalists at a media dialogue with a view to examine the progress, prospects and challenges around pupils and students digital learning.
A presentation made by Abdurahman Ado, UNICEF BFO’s Education Specialist, said that the Covid 19 period, where public institutions were locked down, gave rise for the need to reach out to pupils and students with educational resources using digital platforms that could be accessed in their homes.
Ado said that UNICEF’s principles for digital learning were not only targeted in schools, but also at home and in emergency contexts, and that it was not meant for only those online but also pupils and students with limited or no access to internet connectivity.
The education specialist said that the digital learning initiative under the Nigerian Learning Passport (NLP) was also tailored to provide digital knowledge and skills not only for learners but also for teachers, school leaders, and parents.
“NLP is not just focused on the digitally literate, but also provides opportunities to acquire 21st century digital skills for future workforce needs”, said Ado.
Highlighting the prospects of the NLP program for improved education outcomes in Bauchi State, UNICEF BFO called on the State Government and other key stakeholders to always link data based evidence to trigger action; monitoring the digital learning and continuous capacity strengthening of the teachers workforce.
Other key asks for the State Government made by UNICEF BFO include:
- Procurement of tablets, routers, projectors and set up NLP studio for developing the local content.
- Leveraging the functionality of the Teacher Management Information System (TMIS) in the recruitment of teachers.
- Championing the school-level training of teachers and headteachers on EMIS digitization.
- To transform digital learning for every child in Bauchi
- Strengthening of ICT infrastructure in schools; availability of security and electricity, and to;
- Finance the uptake and usage of the Nigerian Learning Passport in all schools across the State.
While addressing the media team on the progress made in digitising its programs and activities, the Director Planning Research and Statistics (DPRS), Bauchi state Ministry of Education, Ai’sha Aminu said that the State ministry of Education is on the verge of unveiling its data base to augment the NLP initiative.
She said that the ministry is leveraging on digital platforms to improve learning outcomes in Bauchi, with a specific focus on the Teacher Management Information System (TMIS), and the proposed plans for the digitalization of the Education Management Information System (EMIS).
She disclosed that, with the support of UNICEF BFO, the Ministry has distributed 1,110 iPad Tablets to some schools across the State, including Integrated Quranic Schools (IQS).
Part of media dialogue was a field trip to selected schools in some communities of Toro Local Government Area of the State. The media team witnessed, first hand, the utilization of the iPad Tablets provided for student’s learning under the Nigerian Learning Passport (NLP) initiative which is being implemented by the Bauchi State Government, through the state ministry of education, with support from UNICEF Bauchi Field Office (UNICEF BFO).