An educationist, Mrs Olajumoke Akere, has called for building of infrastructure that will enable Nigeria adopt digital learning strategies to beat the challenges of COVID-19.
Akere made the call in Ibadan on Wednesday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria on the impact of COVID-19 on international admissions and study plans.
She stated that while schooling had stopped in Nigeria due to the lockdown occasioned by COVID-19, the developed countries had continued schooling virtually through the use of technology.
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Akere, the Director of JSAY Prevarsity, an educational Consult, said: “When COVID-19 started, especially the lockdown in Nigeria, many students applied to study abroad.
“We had to tell them that they would need to continue their application and then start the school online because what is happening outside the country is that COVID-19 did not affect their education.
“There wasn’t a time that they stopped school, especially for post-secondary students. Many of our students outside the country confirmed this to us.
“What obtains in the developed countries was that many of them from time had combined both physical teaching with virtual learning leveraging on technology.
“They were already used to that before the start of COVID-19, so it was easy to move all learning activities online.”
She further said that most of their students outside the country that were supposed to have graduated in May had done their graduation.
” For those newly admitted into 100 or 200 level, they have continued their education. I am glad to inform you that many of them are through with their first semester.
“They are in their summer now and will resume at the right time. But that is not the case in Nigeria, especially in public institutions.
“We run international examinations, Cambridge A level, IGSCE and some other international examinations, and all these exams have maintained their calendar,’’ she said.
Akere said JSAY had been able to leverage on technology as well to complete the semester virtually and students had completed the May/June 2020 session.
“Since COVID-19 did not affect schooling outside the country, Nigeria ought to embrace technology in the education sector.
“Our inability to leverage on technology caused the setback when COVID-19 came as Nigeria was unable to go digital fully and engage students of all categories in online schooling.
“The pandemic has now made most people to move into the digital world. Since this is a global issue, we should also ensure that our schools and learners have global relevance and gain a competitive edge.
“This will make them to be able to compete internationally and to do what others are doing in other climes,” Akere said.
She, however, commended government for putting in place measures to curtail the spread of the virus as well as providing palliatives.
The educationist further said that for the palliatives to be more impactful, government could partner with network providers to reduce their rates so that it would be easy for students and education professionals to leverage on technology.
“The earlier the country enters into digital learning, the better because COVID-19 from what we have heard would not disappear anytime soon.
“This would help in getting examinations done as well as all that is necessary for academic advancement of students.
“It will also support public university education, especially as the pandemic has added to the numerous challenges bedeviling our universities.
“It has affected students’ academic calendar and how they will continue their education.
” We should be able to move in a direction whereby school duration and learning activities are not hampered by COVID-19 or any other challenges in the future.
“So being able to adopt a virtual schooling system will be of great advantage to the nation’s educational system.
“Our students are able to move with what is happening overseas because we also went digital in our learning,” she said.
Edited By: Edwin Nwachukwu/Mufutau Ojo) (NAN)