Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The Federal Government has launched the Teacher Internship Scheme (TIS), a new teachers’ development programme, designed to support states in the emergence of a new generation of teachers with skills.
The scheme was introduced by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to address the dearth of teachers in the field of smart education being championed by the commission in Nigeria, with the establishment of 37 Smart Schools across the country.
It is being provided technical support by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) with a commitment of about $10.4 million to the project.
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, who launched the programme yesterday at the UBEC Digital Resource Centre, located in Kado, Abuja, also inspected the facility established to serve as a hub for creating and distributing resources to schools as well as training the school personnel.
He expressed the commitment of the federal government towards provision of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure for enhanced teaching and learning in the country.
According to him, ICT has dominated every spectrum of life and Nigeria must make a paradigm shift from the traditional method of teaching children using blackboard and chalk.
He commended the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboyi, and his management team for the initiative, noting that no one talks of quality of education without teachers with the right skills and knowledge to drive the process.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Bobboyi, explained that participants in the scheme are graduates of education selected based on merit from all the states of the federation and are expected to go through intensive training for two years.
“It is envisaged that at the end of the two-year programme, the interns would emerge as a new breed of teachers, equipped with the skills and knowledge to harness the power of technology and transform the learning experience.
“They would not just be teachers; they will be smart teachers who would be innovators, catalysts for change, and architects of a brighter future for the Nigerian child,” he said.
He described it as a significant step forward in the ongoing quest to transform basic education in Nigeria, adding that the world is changing at an unprecedented pace, with technology impacting on every aspect of life, including education.
Bobboyi further stated that the traditional method of teaching and learning is no longer adequate to prepare learners for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
Hence, he said there was the need to expose Nigerian teachers to digital platforms and pedagogies for them to rise to the challenge of preparing the next generation of Nigerian children to survive and thrive in a globalised and competitive world.
He added that the COVID-19 pandemic had laid bare the vulnerabilities of the traditional education system, saying it brought to the fore the need to explore an alternative mode that enables learning to take place anytime anywhere, including during emergencies.
“The UBEC’s response was the introduction of its SMART schools programme. This led to the construction of 37 SMART Schools, one in each State and FCT, and the establishment of 109 e-learning Centres.
He called on all stakeholders in the sector to join hands with UBEC in achieving the laudable goal.
