Abia trains teachers for high-tech schools

Abia State Government started digital training for teachers on Thursday, just before schools reopen in its tech-enabled schools.

The training is organized by Blue Giraffe Development Ltd. It is happening at the newly built Umuomaiukwu Smart School in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training aims to give teachers skills for tech-driven and student-focused learning.

Orieji Okwara-Emele, the managing director and CEO of Blue Giraffe Development Ltd., said good teachers are key to the Smart Schools initiative.

"I’m excited when any batch comes. This batch would be exceptional because most of these teachers have not had this kind of training," she said.

Mrs Okwara-Emele explained that the training replaces traditional memorization with methods that help pupils use technology and find information.

"The era of cramming is no longer the best way to teach a child. Technology is there; the tools are there for you to extract information," she said.

She added that the program is based on "21st Century Pedagogy" and the four Cs of blended learning: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Critical thinking.

Mrs Okwara-Emele said teachers would get laptops and learn to use Smart Boards, while pupils would have tablets for classroom activities.

She also mentioned that pupils would learn about Artificial Intelligence, robotics, coding, and virtual reality that are suitable for their age.

"It can never be a one-off. Governor Alex Otti has made it mandatory that there should be continuous learning and updates," she said.

Mrs Okwara-Emele stated that the initiative shows Governor Otti’s commitment to education, with 20 percent of the state’s budget going to the sector.

She called this investment an uncommon effort to keep the state’s schoolchildren from falling behind in the digital age.

She urged parents to ensure their children attend school regularly and take advantage of what the Smart Schools offer.

"Make sure your ward comes to school on time and gains the best of what they’re being given," she said.

The Umuomaiukwu Smart School is one of 20 fully digital primary schools being built by the Otti administration across Abia’s 17 local government areas.

NAN reports that this school is one of the largest Smart Schools completed under the program, following the Ubakala Smart School.

Victoria Ikedichi, one of the instructors, said the first day of training focused on communication, collaboration, and using technology in teaching effectively.

"Having a facility like the Smart School, we have to make sure that the teachers have enough knowledge to pass on to the students," she said.

Mrs Ikedichi stated that teachers need to be tech-savvy to help pupils learn and compete in a digital world.

For the newly recruited teachers, this training marks a big change from traditional classroom teaching.

Ruth Udeonye, one of the participants, described the Smart School initiative as massive and a great invention for teachers.

"Our expectation is to be computer literate and to engage these children using the smart laptops and tools that will be issued to us," she said.

Another participant, Emmanuel Nwagbara, called the training the best so far in the state.

Mr Nwagbara said the program will help teachers share real-time knowledge through ICT instead of relying on blackboard and chalk methods.

"It will make learning faster, easier, and more accessible," he said.