COVID-19: Ebonyi begins radio, television learning programme | EduCeleb
EduCeleb
20th April 2020
The Ebonyi State Government has officially launched its version of the educational radio and television programmes for students on Ebonyi State Radio and Television (EB-RTV).
The programme was aimed at facilitating teaching and learning through the State Television and other electronic media channels as a means of sustaining educational activities, especially with the restrictions occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This initiative is coordinated through its Ministry of Education.
During the launch at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abakaliki, the State Commissioner for Education, Dr Onyebuchi Chima, explained that the event was in accordance with Governor David Umahi’s directive that teaching and learning should continue through Radio and Television in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic for schools to meet up with their calendar.
Ebonyi joins the ranks of about a dozen other states that have come up with similar initiatives since the lockdown began.
Chima challenged tertiary institutions in the State, education scientists and researchers to develop practical ways through which students and pupils could be taught at home as if in the classroom, adding that such would eliminate the challenges posed on the country’s educational system by the pandemic.
He called on the management of the five tertiary institutions of learning in the State to key into the Federal Ministry of Education’s directives and establish ICT methods of teaching tertiary level students online as it obtains in the western world in order to sustain the educational calendar when schools reopen.
The Vice Chancellor, Ebonyi State University, Professor Chigozie Ogbu, as well as the Provost, Ebonyi State College of Education Ikwo, Professor Benedict Mbam, said their institutions were putting in place measures to fully establish Information and Communication Technology facilities for distant learning.
They however regretted that their institutions do not have facilities on ground to float online teaching and learning at this period of students sit-at-home.
Meanwhile, the Rector, Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu, Dr. Wilfred Nwangwu, observed that distance teaching and learning method would not work for institutions with practical dependent curriculum and advocated reopening of schools for students to continue their learning.
The education stakeholders further applauded Umahi for his proactive response to COVID-19, and advised members of the public to abide by all safety measures put in place by government and its health partners.