Niger govt, UNICEF train 675 teachers on digital literacy

Following  the ongoing  effort to improve learning among children, the Niger State Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Education  Fund (UNICEF), supported by Global Partnership Education (GPE), has trained 675 teachers on digital literacy to bridge learning gap.

Education Officer, UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, Mr Francis Elisha, stated this in Minna, at the weekend, stressing that the  training was to equip teachers  in the state with digital knowledge on how to use learning passport in teaching.

It  will be recalled  that  state government recently launched the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP), an online e-learning platform with online mobile and offline capability, that enables continuous access to quality education.

Elisha explained  that digital literacy was part of UNICEF response to bridge learning gap using digital content,  saying  that for the NLP to be effective, there was the  need for teachers to be digitally inclined.

“It is a way of exposing teachers to digital literacy for learning through digital platform, this is to bridge learning gap between urban and rural areas as the LP have the capacity to work online and offline.

“The LP platform provide effective learning for children at home as it helps to address issues of learning gaps and challenges that children face or could face in terms of emergency  just like they were faced with during the  COVID-19,” he said.

Supporting facilitator from Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Abuja, Mr Adebayo David, said the teachers were being trained on how to use Informtion and Communication Technology  (ICT)  to teach students even from home.

He said the teachers were trained on how to use microsoft word, power-point and excel to organise content to teach students using social media platforms such as telegram, zoom, WhatsApp and  Google in time  of emergency .

David said the teachers were expected to go back to their schools and step down the training to other teachers for effective learning.

One of the teachers, Mrs Rhoda Yakubu of  Dr Yahaya Primary School, Minna, said the training had exposed her on how to   use ICT to improve learning among   pupils and thanked the organisers for the gesture.

The training was for teachers selected from Lapai, Kontagora and Minna, respectively.

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