UNICEF to boost digital education in Bauchi government schools

The United Nations Children’s Fund has outlined plans to advance digital education in government schools in Bauchi State.

UNICEF’s Education Specialist at the Bauchi Field Office, Abdulrahman Ado, made this statement during an interaction with journalists on Friday in the Toro Local Government Area of the state.

According to Ado, as part of the efforts to ensure that digital education is well embedded in government schools, UNICEF supported 55 selected schools in 2022 with 22 tablets each, preloaded with the Nigeria Learning Passport platform.

He explained that digital learning would enhance learning outcomes and address the challenges posed by inadequate manpower in schools.

Ado added that the Nigeria Learning Passport is a digital platform that contains foundational literacy and numeracy content, transferable life skills, job-specific skills, and more.

Ado said, “The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey revealed that three out of four children in Nigeria cannot read with meaning or solve simple maths problems.”

He stressed that UNICEF’s principles for digital learning include not only using digital tools in schools but also ensuring offline accessibility and the inclusion of skills for adolescents, with appropriate technology that is not too advanced.

He also urged the Bauchi State government to strengthen Information Technology infrastructure, ensure security, and improve the power supply in schools.

“I also want to use this opportunity to call on the state government to lead the training of teachers and headteachers on Education Management Information Systems (EMIS),” he added.

The Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics at the Bauchi State Ministry of Education, Aisha Amin, stated that the training and development of EMIS was in its final stage.

She reiterated the commitment of the state government to training teachers and officials from the state to local government level on EMIS to ensure quality data.

Aisha said the tool would help the ministry monitor and ensure quality learning processes in schools.

In his remarks, Yakubu Gayawa, one of the principals of the benefiting Junior Secondary School in Magama-Gumau, expressed gratitude to the state government for creating an enabling environment and for its partnership with UNICEF to support state activities and programmes.