UBEC Spends N21.6bn on Building of Six Smart Schools in Six Geopolitical Zones

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has disclosed that the sum of N21.6 billion is being spent on the construction of six smart schools in the six geopolitical zones of the country.
Also, the commission will build one of such schools in the 36 states of federation with each estimated to cost about N350 million.
The commission’s spokesperson, Mr. David Apeh, who disclosed this on Wednesday in a statement, said the schools which will have the capacity to accommodate a large number of students and ICT infrastructure. 
“The Commission is building sux Smart Schools (Six Information, Communication and Telecommunications schools) in the six geopolitical zones at a cost of about N3.6 billion as part of initiative to encourage e-learning in the country. 

“UBEC will also build one of such schools in the 36 states of the federation with each estimated to cost about N350 million.
“The schools will have the capacity to accommodate a large number of students and ICT infrastructure,” Apeh said.
Similarly, the management of the commission has commenced discreet efforts to ensure full implementation of e-learning programmes in basic education across the country following the challenges occasioned in the sub-sector by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and closure of schools. 

To this end, the commission has assembled a team of experts in Kano for a five-day workshop for the development of course outline and course contents for the training of education managers, teachers, technical support personnel and other stakeholders for the Smart Schools and e-Learning programmes in basic education in Nigeria. 
The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboyi, in his speech delivered at the workshop, said: “The recent challenges in the basic education sub-sector occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the need for new learning and teaching models that offer learners and teachers flexible learning opportunities that seek to ensure unfettered access to quality education. 
Bobboyi further explained that the capacity building for the different categories of stakeholders would include general training on ICT tools and facilities. 
He added that the training would cover all issues pertaining to effective use of various ICT tools and facilities to enable the teachers efficiently use them, saying this would also cover areas that have to do with various software packages and their use as it pertains to e-learning delivery. 
On digital pedagogical training, the UBEC boss said this would focus on developing teachers’ skills on e-learning lesson delivery, explaining that the pedagogical skills required for e-learning delivery is far different from the face-face pedagogical skills.
“Fortunately, the commission, even before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, has been vigorously pursuing two important projects; the Smart Schools and the e-learning projects.
“In order for these two projects to successfully take off, there is the need for the commission to develop the capacity of relevant stakeholders that will ultimately manage these schools in particular and the basic education sub-sector in general. 
“It is on this basis that the commission is proposing a five-day workshop for the development of course outline and course contents for the training of education managers, teachers, technical support personnel and other stakeholders for the Smart Schools and e-learning programmes,” he said.