COVID-19, opportunity to institutionalise e-teaching - TRCN boss | EduCeleb
EduCeleb
29th April 2020
The Registrar/Chief Executive of the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Professor Segun Ajiboye has said that the COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to institutionalise e-teaching.
According to him, the teaching profession will witness a total revolution after COVID-19 pandemic is over.
According to him, faculties of education and colleges of education need to review their curricula to include technology driven training and preparations.
Ajiboye noted that COVID-19 has thrown up a challenge for a paradigm shift in the way teachers are trained and the way learning is executed in Nigeria.
Ajiboye stated this shortly after featuring on a Radio Program in Ibadan.
Professor Ajiboye stated that the developed world countries is to continue teaching and learning through the deployment of technology which is still yet to be engaged fully in Nigeria.
According to him, the post-COVID 19 reality is that Nigeria must invest in technology to drive her education system adding that the world will not wait for Nigeria to catch up with it.
While noting that TRCN already started digital literacy for teachers in 2018, Ajiboye added that a proposal is already before the Federal Ministry of Education to scale up beneficiaries of the training accross the country.
He added that in years to come, teachers who are able to use technology will displace those unable to use technology in facilitating learning.
While acknowledging the need to increase Education budget, Ajiboye maintained that professional teachers must be ready for the task ahead.
In his words, “One thing is that COVID-19 is a big challenge to education globally affecting about 1.7million in about 152countries. Africa has a big problem. Some different countries in developed countries have been able to mitigate the impact through internet. In Nigeria we are not there yet. This has compounded our out of school problems. Even tertiary education is not excluded.
“Both teachers and students are at home in Nigeria. It is a challenging time for teaching profession but also It is an eye opener. The kind of the training we give to our teachers needs to be reviewed.we need technology mediated learning. The world will not wait for nigeria.
“Their calendar is running but we are on long vacation here. After this COVID-19 experience there will be revolution in the way we prepare and train our teachers. How do we leverage on technology? Teachers who know how to use technology will replace those unable to use it.
“In 2018, TRCN did digital literacy education in Nigeria but those covered are small. We have submitted a proposal to the Ministry of education to scale it up. We need technology to democratise learning. It caught us unawares and I think it calls for a sober reflection to look for ways ahead. It’s a big reflection.”