The Tech Relevant Teacher Project: Here’s How Coca-Cola and BAF Closed Nigeria’s Digital Education Divide
In March 2020, the Federal Ministry of Education approved school closures in response to the medical phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Circumventing the situation, the Lagos State Ministry of Education released a schedule of radio, TV, and online lessons for students in public schools.
Rising prices as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic pushed an estimated 7 million Nigerians below the poverty line in 2020, with the national poverty rate projected to jump from 40.1% in 2019 to 45.2% in 2022, according to the World Bank.
Source: UGC
This development captures the current state of underserved families as the harsh economic realities indicated that the procurement of radios, TV, or internet-enabled devices for the purpose of continued education was nothing but a dream.
With the Global Partnership For Education (GPE) revealing that Nigeria now has approximately 20% of the total “out-of-school” children population in the world, a recourse was needed and Coca-Cola, committed to creating a better-shared future for all, supported the Tech Relevant Teacher (TRT) Project implemented by the Bunmi Adedayo Foundation.
The project, launched early this year and executed over a seven-month period, has recorded incredible feats, as it sought to bridge the digital divide and improve digital literacy for students and teachers in Nigeria.
500 School Teachers and Managers Empowered With Digital Literacy Skills and Tools
In February 2021, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) revealed that over 60% of primary school teachers in Nigeria lack the digital literacy skills needed to effectively participate in e-learning environments.
This number vividly paints a bleak picture as Nigeria struggles to realise a robust digital basic education system.
Through the TRT Project, this number has been eased significantly with about 500 Teachers and School Managers from 216 Schools enrolled and trained in the use of different EdTech Tools and Learning Content Production Suits through a Self-Paced Learning on the BAF Learning Management System.
Additionally, at least 245 teachers have become Microsoft Certified Educators as a direct result of the project. The baseline and endline analysis also confirm that the beneficiaries have improved skills in content creation using PowerPoint, Learning Designer, Du-Recorder, One Note, Handbrake, Blended Learning Application and Google Classroom, among others etc.
Bridging The Gap: A staggering 24,000 School Children Impacted
With more teachers now empowered with digital literacy skills and tools, the biggest winners are the children. Over 24,000 primary school children are now able to access quality education digitally in their schools as a result of the training received by the teachers.
Reward For Performance: Donation Of Computer And Software Accessories To Top 30 Schools For Content Production And Digitization
Following a rigorous assessment and selection process, 30 of the 216 schools were selected and recognised for their stellar performance since the commencement of the project. Each beneficiary school was presented with a mini-content production suite to help teachers expand their sphere of influence through the acquisition of content digitisation skills. The production suite consisted of a computer, a PC external speaker, a headset, and a microphone.
650 Training Manuals and Materials Distributed to all Beneficiaries
Packs of sponsor-branded training materials numbering up to 650 were distributed to all 216 beneficiary schools. The goal of the training manuals was to expose the beneficiaries to diverse hands-on lessons on educational technology and content creation tools required to produce digital lessons for learning in and outside their schools. These manuals are said to have a residual effect as thousands of pupils within and outside the traditional classroom will be impacted as the knowledge is passed on.
Another win recorded by this Coca-Cola-sponsored project is the production of several electronic preparatory courses in Maths and English for the Primary School Leaving Certificate Examination which will benefit thousands of students who wish to succeed at the Basic 6 terminal exams.
With these incredible feats recorded, the TRT Project signifies the company’s commitment to supporting innovative interventions that enable equal opportunities for people and families across the world.
[Sponsored]
Source: Legit.ng
