AbdulRazaq Introduces KwaraLEARN to Revolutionise Basic Education

The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has signed a memoradum of understanding (MoU) with the state’s technical partners, New Globe, introducing KwaraLEARN, the administration’s flagship in public education transformation programme designed to improve learning outcomes for primary school pupils across the state.

The governor called the initiative lifetime investments to empower teachers and give public school pupils the best shot at 21st-century education with reverberating effects on the future of the state.

“The KwaraLEARN programme will empower our teachers with the right digital tools to be at their best while providing an electronic platform to make classrooms and schools transparent. The technology will monitor attendance and performance of pupils and teachers in all classrooms, offering continual support and feedback,” AbdulRazaq said.

“This is our flagship education programme. It will transform all government primary schools using innovative technology, data-driven platforms, high-quality learning materials, effective training and ongoing coaching and support for teachers and school leaders.

“Our technical partners, NewGlobe, are trusted to drive this programme to success. They have done it in Edo and Lagos, and we trust them to do a lot more to partner with other stakeholders towards returning basic education to the dream of our founding fathers.

“KwaraLEARN represents our vision for a stronger Kwara. It is set to deliver dramatic improvements in learning outcomes for public school children across the state. It will accelerate the numeracy and literacy skills of our pupils, enabling them to compete with their peers anywhere in the world.

“This is because we believe that the path to prosperity is through the education of the Kwara child. Education underpins economic growth, stability and sustainable development.

“KwaraLEARN will deploy 21st century technology to support teachers and schools. It will enable our children to fulfil their potentials and offer them and the state a brighter future. KwaraLEARN will empower our teachers to become highly skilled through training and motivation to succeed at their job.”

The MoU signing was attended by the Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi; Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu; House members; cabinet members; PTA Chairman in the state and Makama of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Oniye; NUT Chairman Abdullahi Umar; ANCOPSS President, Toyin Abdullahi; Chairman of SUBEB, Prof. Shehu Raheem Adaramaja; TESCOM Chairman, Bello Abubakar; and top bureaucrats; among others.

The Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo-Kawu, said: “This is a thoughtful and innovative idea of the present administration to change the teaching method to a modern 21st century digital learning in Kwara.

“The introduction of the new technology to the schools will definitely complement the earlier investments in infrastructural development in our schools, the transparent and competitive recruitment of exceptional teachers to our classrooms and training and retraining of teachers.

“The service provider will carry out intensive training of the teachers who are the end users of the devices and would support continuous monitoring of the exercise for a period of four years. Meanwhile, the whole exercise will not attract any cost to the teachers and will also provide employment opportunity for Kwarans.”

The state Universal Basic Education Board (KWSUBEB) Chairman, Adaramaja, said the vision of the government is to improve primary school outcomes through KwaraLEARN by transforming learning in all classrooms and ensuring every child has access to high-quality and well-supported teachers.

“The vision of the governor is for a strong and prosperous Kwara. Investing in the education of our children is our most important priority. It is our belief that KwaraLEARN will empower and strengthen our teachers and prepare our children with the necessary skills to excel in future workplaces that require intuition, creativity and critical thinking,” Adaramaja said.

The Director of Policy and Partnership New Globe, Dr. Wuraola Kumbi, commended the vision of Governor AbdulRazaq for the education sector.

“I sincerely like to commend and celebrate His Excellency for his vision in the education sector. We have followed closely all the laudable projects in accessing UBEC funds for infrastructural development and teachers training, the passage and signing into law of Education Trust Bill, the education summit and so many things to put Kwara education on the map of not only in Nigeria but across the world,” she said.

The Group Managing Director Nigeria of the New Globe, Mrs Omowale David-Ashiru, said: “This programme is about empowerment of teachers. It is about pupils but the conduit in learning outcome is the teachers.

“When the teacher is not present a child cannot learn. So, this programme really focuses on empowering our teachers about the contents, the tools and confidence they need to do what they love to do and have been trained to do.”

The state PTA Chairman, Oniye, appreciated the governor for the innovative idea and assured him that the association is 100% in support of the initiative for the progress and development of the state’s education sector.

The ANCOPPS president attributed the successes in the education sector so far to the appointment of competent officials to drive the state education sector.

The NUT Chairman, Umar, said the state government is taking the right steps in reviving the education sector by accessing UBEC funds and empowerment of teachers to give their best to the students, describing Governor AbdulRazaq as a visionary governor.

The programme will begin across Kwara’s primary schools in the first quarter of 2022.