Education
A University lecturer, Dr Ferdinand Giadom, has urged Rivers Government to sustain the ongoing radio/television learning programme for primary and secondary schools while planning for e-learning programme for them.
Giadom, a lecturer in the Department of Geology, University of Port Harcourt, made the call while speaking with the News Agency of Nigerian (NAN) on Wednesday in Port Harcourt.
The don spoke in reaction to the state government’s directives to primary and post primary schools in the state to begin e-learning programme.
NAN recalls that government had announced that the state would begin e-learning programmes for primary school pupils and secondary school students.
Government said the measure was to mitigate the negative effects the closure of schools due to COVID-19 would have on the pupils and students.
Giadom commended the state government for introducing e-learning programme which he said would enable the institutions to conclude their current academic year curricula.
The don said that the programme would also enable the institutions to begin next year’s academic programme, in spite of the lockdown.
“I think that government should continue with the current programme it is running on air for primary and post primary schools.
“E-learning programme will need communication equipment and a gradual approach as Rome was not built in a day.
“I know that most homes especially in the cities have television sets and radios.
“So I think that the Ministries of Education in various states have a unified curriculum that runs in the schools to transmit through the media.
“The government at all levels in the country should continue to teach the students via electronic media and also engage them via phone conversations,” he said.
Giadom however listed some challenges that could militate against the effectiveness of e-learning, such as lack of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) including computers and android phones.
He said that other challenges that would militate against the programme were unsteady power supply, lack of teachers with ICT compliance and subscription to internet, among others.
“Ministry of education should train teachers, create contents to be on our portals and then deliver to the students while the television and radio programmes are going on,” he said. (NAN)
– Apr. 29, 2020 @ 16:25 GMT |
Tags: Don urges Rivers State to retain radio/tv school learning programme
