Here on earth

Editorial

Lagos State government seems to have commendably started the year on a very significantly positive note. The idea of organising a capacity-building training for primary school teachers from across the 57 local government councils of the state at this time shows that the government realises the urgent need to rejig and modernise education at the basic level.

In a 21st century world, sound ideas and technology have become the tools of development. Nigeria as a country seems to be lagging behind in institutionalising technology in the public space, especially in the education sector.

The fact that most teachers are neither computer literate nor familiar with modern teaching methods equally affect the students produced and also have long-term effects on their progressive education life.

The steps that the Sanwo-Olu administration has taken in organising comprehensive training sessions, equipping schools and training the teachers in the use of modern technology and teaching aids, to us is very commendable.

Nigeria must key into modern teaching methods in a global world that has no space for analogue systems anymore.

The training that the teachers are being put through and the provision of modern teaching, learning and monitoring equipment are all very necessary not only for the aesthetics of it all but as incentives for teachers who hitherto had worked with very cumbersome manual and time-consuming methods of teaching and other ancillary education duties.

Technology has made lives and living much easier and attractive, and applying them in the very neglected education sector would go a long way in motivating teachers who for long have not been treated with the dignity and respect as incentives to put in their best.

The surprise appearance of the governor at the training venue, and the incentives to the teachers in direct and indirect provision of materials would have very deep psychological effects on their self-esteem and in turn positively affect productivity.

The offer of cars to head teachers is not only a new but very encouraging move. For a group whose welfare had always not been a priority for most governments, they must be thanking their good fortune while trying to show gratitude through productivity.

Read Also: Govt to hire more qualified teachers, says Buhari

The introduction of teacher-and-pupil monitoring gadgets in schools by the government comes at a time that truancy seems to be at its peak amongst both instructors and the instructed.

This is a valid and proactive sign that it would no longer be business as usual as we have had reports of teachers doing other businesses during school periods and some pupils being everywhere but in the classrooms.

The government’s actions would make public schools more appealing to parents who hitherto have been exploited by owners of private schools that are taking advantage of the failed public schools  to charge exorbitant amounts for education.

The seeming comprehensive digitization of the education system seems to have no disadvantages. However, we are not unmindful of the absence of some basic fundamentals that can sustain all the new technological incentives for the teachers.

In a country with a chronic epileptic power supply, how would the government provide electricity to power these equipment? Again, given that most of the public schools are in the rural communities often cut off from the metropolitan areas, how would the equipment be secured?

While we commend the government for these laudable moves to strengthen and make public schools and teachers more modern and digitally functional, we implore it to make efforts to sustain the trainings for teachers, widen the scope of incentives to include both academic and non-academic staff because they are partners in progress.

We also advise a more pervasive training for teachers and an effort to ensure that only qualified professional teachers are recruited to avoid a situation where individuals out of a need for jobs resort to teaching. We equally believe that secondary and special education sectors should at some point be beneficiaries too.