Revised curriculum: Teacher training, infrastructure vital – Educationist
Revised curriculum: Teacher training, infrastructure vital – Educationist
An educationist, Mr Simon Fowowe, on Tuesday called for more attention on teacher training, infrastructure provision and adequate funding of schools to make effective, the revised curriculum for basic, senior secondary and technical education.
Fowowe, the National President of the Association of Nursery and Primary Education Instructors, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He said that introduction of subjects such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics and computer science would come with challenges.
The Voice Media Trust (VMT NEWS) reports that the Federal Government, on Aug. 31, announced review of curriculum for basic, senior secondary and technical education.
New subjects in the revised curriculum include Artificial Intelligence (AI), computer programming and elements of trade/entrepreneurship, under social studies module.
They are aimed to align education with the digital economy and global standards.
The new curriculum makes digital literacy and coding compulsory at the junior secondary level and introduces specialised modules in technology, including AI, robotics and cybersecurity, for senior secondary students.
Fowowe said that poor infrastructure, limited funding and lack of skills by teachers would hinder effectiveness of the news curriculum.
“Many teachers in Nigeria, especially in rural areas, don’t have the skills to teach tech subjects such as AI.
“Teacher training is inconsistent, and schools often lack the equipment to teach these subjects properly,” he said.
He urged that the Federal Government, in partnership with organisations such as Google and Microsoft could organise workshops and online courses to train teachers.
“Non-governmental organisations and corporations can also sponsor teacher training programmes to improve skills in AI and other tech subjects.
“Many schools, especially in rural areas, lack basic infrastructure, including electricity, internet and computers.
“Teaching subjects such as AI is nearly impossible without these resources.
“Partnerships between the Federal Government and tech companies can provide internet access to schools, while other companies can offer affordable computers,” he said.
He added that offline resources, including preloaded software or mobile apps, could also help to ensure that tech education would reach all areas.
Fowowe said that Nigeria’s education system was large and diverse, making consistent application of curriculum difficult.
“Corruption and lack of oversight have also been issues.”
Thr educationist called for creation of a national education assessment agency to track how the curriculum would be applied across the country as well as assess teaching quality.
“We can use technology, including mobile apps or WhatsApp, to collect updates from schools. For areas with poor internet, USSD systems can be used to gather data.
“Schools that do well in teaching Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects could be rewarded with grants or resources to improve their facilities,” he said.
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Fowowe said that a number of schools had yet to have hands-on learning, adding that computer science teaching in such schools had been mostly theory-based as students were not getting enough practice.
“The curriculum should include more hands-on learning through projects, coding boot camps, and robotics.
“Students could use tools such as Scratch to create AI-based projects.
“Partnerships with tech companies such as Flutterwave can give students opportunities for internships and mentorships with industry professionals.
“The government should fund creation of tech labs and innovation hubs in every state.
“These will give students access to tech tools and allow them to build projects related to AI, coding and app development,” he said.
He added that governments should allocate specific funds to help schools to buy computers, set up labs and train teachers in an effort to ensure effective implementation of the new curriculum.
“Companies can donate hardware or fund teacher training programmes and provide low-cost computers or online courses.
“Government can work with tech firms to create a library of free educational resources, such as textbooks, apps and videos that teach AI and coding without extra costs,” he said.
