The Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board’s (LASUBEB) EKOEXCEL has reiterated the importance of reading, noting that it will open vistas of development and opportunities for pupils.
EKOEXCEL also noted that the ability to read well is a critical requirement for success in the 21st century as countries mark the 2022 World Book Day today, April 23.
This year’s World Book and Copyright Day themed ‘Read…so you never feel alone’ is celebrated in over 100 countries that agreed to observe the day in 1995.
The EKOEXCEL programme recently celebrated an 11-year-old pupil of Solomon Memorial Primary School, Epe, Ms. Latifat Amusat for her perfect scores of 100% in English Studies, Basic Science and Mathematics. She expressed how much she loves reading and how EKOEXCEL books and learning materials helped aid her performances.
Access to new and improved content-rich text books, National Curriculum focused and those written Lagos State Unified Scheme of work have been distributed to all public primary schools which has led to pupils becoming more energetic, joyful and being much more eager to go to school and enhancing their learning experience.
The learning materials have also improved teacher enthusiasm and enabled them think outside the box, such as EKOEXCEL’s Teacher Shade (Fausat Folasade Adegeye) of Ebenezer nursery and primary school, who recently became an internet sensation for sharing her teaching methodologies acquired from the programme, on social media platforms.
EKOEXCEL has recorded considerable positive impacts among pupils of Lagos’ public primary schools, improving their reading skills and boosting numeracy skills in a little over two years.
It has dramatically accelerated student literacy and numeracy performances, with significant differences between student performances in EKOEXCEL schools versus their peers in traditional schools.
The EKOEXCEL 2020-2021 Endline Fluency and Numeracy Evaluation has put the achievements in better perspective. The intervention is making a significant impact on pupils and teachers.
READ ALSO: RestoringVision, EKOEXCEL distribute free reading glasses to Lagos teachers, pupils
The report also showed that EKOEXCEL pupils are making stronger progress in oral reading fluency and foundational numeracy than before the initiative’s commencement.
It further showed that an average Primary 3 EKOEXCEL pupil is now reading at nearly the same fluency level as an average Primary 5 pupil from before the launch of the EKOEXCEL programme.
Commenting on the significance of the day, LASUBEB’s Executive Chairman, Hon. Wahab Alawiye-King said the body would continue to improve pupils learning by deploying quality novels and textbooks.
He explained that it would justify Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s massive investment in education by ensuring that the pupils are literate and numerate.
‘We produce pupils who can operate confidently and optimally in the 21st-century knowledge-based economy. We agree with what the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey
Azoulay, said about books being vital vehicles to access, transmit and promote education, science, culture and information worldwide. We will ensure enough reading materials to go around our pupils. as we prepare for a new term.”
Apart from improving pupils, EKOEXCEL has also moved over 18,000 headteachers and teachers from analogue to digital teaching, using tablets and an updated curriculum.
EKOEXCEL has also enhanced the teacher-pupil interaction experience through technology (eLearning) in Lagos State primary schools.