9th December, 2019
The Lagos State Universal Basic Board, (LASUBEB) on Monday began the training of 2,400 primary school teachers on the use of modern day technology to enhance teaching efficiency.
The training, code named EKO EXCEL (Excellence in Child Education and Learning) is aimed at up-scaling teachers’ development for globally competitiveness.
The Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo, who flagged off the training programme on Monday in Bariga area of Lagos, stated that the programme became imperative as outlined in the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in which the third pillar stood for Education and Technology.
According to her, the training programme would incorporate the integration of technology into education from the primary schools level. “The aim of this training is to deliver on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to closing the gap between the rich and poor by ensuring access to quality education for all.”
Adefisayo stated that the objective of EKO EXCEL was to successfully develop skilled teachers, improve teachers’ quality while leveraging on technology.
She noted that as Lagos aspired to be a 21st Century economy and maintain its position as a leading economy in Africa, a critical investment in basic education was required to build the quality workforce needed for the future and ensuring access to quality education for all children in the State.
Executive Chairman, Lagos State SUBEB, Wahab Alawiye-King stated that the introduction of EKO EXCEL was to transform teaching and learning process in public primary schools, adding that the initiative was with due consultation with critical stakeholders in the educational sector.
According to him “this training programme is very crucial in enhancing and up-scaling teachers’ learning and professional development. The training will equip teachers with the needed resources to complement the traditional way of teaching and to keep pupils more engaged in classroom activities.”
Alawiye-King reiterated that the training would afford the teachers the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the technology devices that would be deployed for teaching in public primary schools.
He charged the teachers to pay rapt attention and seek necessary clarification in the course of the training as they were the key parameters in the success of the programme.
The Chairman commended the stakeholders and partners for their continuous support and investment in the programme, stating that it “takes a whole village to raise a child” just as he promised that the board would ensure that “no child is left behind” in accessing quality education.
EkoExcel (Excellence in Child Education and Learning) is an education reform programme that is poised to developing more highly skilled teachers; by training, supporting and motivating existing government teachers to succeed in their classrooms.
At the end of the programme, over 14,000 government teachers would have been re-trained and up-skilled, using technology driven devices.
Part of the benefits of this initiative is for Lagos State teachers to deliver at the same level with their counterparts around the world, become more professional and technologically savvy in their work and be skillful in helping children to learn in a positive environment.
The first phase of the programme will last for 10 days. holding between 9 and 19, December, 2019.