The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that online classes are capable of delivering success as an adopted style of learning for basic education in Nigeria amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
Development Diaries gathered that the Communications Specialist at UNICEF, Dr Geoffrey Njoku, in a signed statement, disclosed that UNICEF Nigeria would provide the technical support to bolster the effectiveness of home-based learning programmes, ensuring Edu-volunteers are part of the monitoring efforts supporting parents and state officials.
Njoku said that the supporting team will help state governments track the numbers of children participating in online learning in the online learning initiative through the platform and feedback received from websites, television and callers on radio stations.
The statement further disclosed that the field research supervised by UNICEF’s Awwal Nasir in Ido community, Ekiti State, showed that the Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the Ministries of Education, Science and Technology were utilising digital learning and teaching programmes to provide uninterrupted learning experiences to pupils during the state-wide lockdown.
The statement, however, highlighted challenges such as resource limitations, lack of internet connectivity, low literacy level of parents, and poor electricity supply as hindrances to the initiative.
‘Lessons covering primary one to six are aired (through radio and television) while some are uploaded on dedicated websites. Assignments are often given during classes and learners are expected to complete and submit them online’, the statement read.
‘These efforts help states to track the number of children via the platforms. Feedback is received from callers on radio, television and the websites during monitoring sessions, assignments submitted are used as a performance indicator to measure the impacts of programmes.
‘Overall, reports show that many parents and guardians subscribe to the programme, and are also making efforts to ensure their wards have the support needed to participate.
‘Most agree that the platform has been useful and has helped reduce the negative impact of the stay-at-home order by allowing children to continue to learn even in difficult times’.
Source: THISDAY
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