Governor Willie Obiano has called for continuous partnerships and stronger policies in the development of education sector in the state.
He made the call while declaring open the 2022 Anambra State Education Digitization Summit in Awka.
Correspondent Blessing Uchendu reports that the education summit, a brainchild of the Anambra State Ministry of Basic Education in collaboration with the Integral Development Konsult, Learning Centre, Awka, is aimed at developing real-time alternative teaching and learning models, as was used during the onslaught of COVID 19 which made classroom learning impossible.
Declaring the summit open, Governor Obiano represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Solo Chukwulobelu, recalled the achievements recorded in the education sector under his administration in the last eight years, and urged teachers to assist parents in teaching and moulding the character of Anambra school children.
The Governor who further called for Public-Private Partnership to transform the education sector, commended the Minister of Education, Dr Emeka Nwajiuba and the Anambra State Commissioner for Basic Education, Professor Kate Omenugha for all their efforts in transforming education in the State, and urged the teachers to continue to invest themselves in order to improve digital education in Anambra State.
The keynote speaker and former Minister of Education, Dr Oby Ezekwesili, said that in order to digitize education in Anambra State, there is need to improve the quality and commitment of teachers, prepare the students with the fundamental literacy and skills.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Commissioner for Basic Education, Professor Omenugha said that Governor Obiano has done well in the education sector which has led to Anambra State winning so many laurels both nationally and
internationally, and noted that the state was the first to embark on teaching on air during the COVID-19 lockdown, a brainchild of the ministry in conjunction with the Anambra Broadcasting Service, a strong first step towards digital education in the state.
On their parts, the Chief Executive Officer of Integral Development Konsult Learning Center, Mrs Chinwe Nweke, who is also the chairman, summit’s planning committee, and the Chairman Post Primary Schools Service Commission, Mrs Ifeoma Okaro, maintained that the summit is very important for the state to have an education system that is productive and globally competitive, stressing that in a twenty-first century digital world, Anambra teachers and students cannot afford to be left behind.
There were also series of interactive panels anchored by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Political matters, Dr Vero Okechukwu and her Broadcast Media Counterpart, Mrs Ify Aronu-Okafor, to look into diverse topics on how to adapt to digital education, as well as launching of the ‘One Student One Laptop’ campaign.
The summit captioned ‘Digitalizing Anambra State Education System’, had in attendance principals, teachers and students from both public and private schools in the State.