David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka
Anambra State Government, working in partnership with an education consultancy firm, Integral Development Konsult (IDK), has concluded arrangement with Google to train teachers in the state on digital learning.
The Chief Executive Officer of IDK, Mrs. Chinwe Nweke, disclosed this in a joint press conference with the state Commissioner for Basic Education, Prof Kate Omenugha, yesterday.
Nweke said the state government in partnership with IDK has invited the education department of Google to speak in an education digitalisation summit, which would be held later this month.
She said the aim of the summit was to enhance the skills of teachers in digital learning, while listing other leading companies in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) world that will also speak at the summit to include Dell, HP, Zinox, Coscharis among others.
According to her, “We are looking for a way we can use the technology to bridge the digital gap. We are introducing ICT into basic education, and we are looking at how we can use technology to change learning and affect the students’ lives.
“Anambra State is very serious with the digitalisation of learning, and we are inviting a panel of ICT companies to look into our sub topics, which will be dealing with affordability of gadgets, internet networks in far-flung places in the state as well as solar energy as a source of power for these gadgets.
“We have a lot of leading companies we have invited to lead discussions in the various sub-topics. We are hoping that at the end of discussions, we will come up with a blueprint that will guide Anambra State Government to transform or cause rapid transformation of learning.”
She added that the summit would herald the launch of a one-student-one-laptop campaign, which would be geared towards getting well-to-do individuals in the state to make donations that will help procure laptops for students in the state.
Speaking at the press conference also, the Basic Education Commissioner, Prof Omenugha, stated that Anambra State Government has been in the forefront of ensuring the digitalisation of learning, and was able to show its dominance in the area during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
