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The Secretary to the Enugu State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, has said that 50% of the pupil population in Enugu State can neither read in English nor solve simple mathematics questions.
Onyia said this while giving his keynote address titled, “Smart Basic Education and the Future of Africa” at the quadrennial convention of the Old Boys Association of Union Secondary School, Awkunanaw, in Enugu.
He further noted that the state uncovered the shortcomings in the literacy and numeracy proficiency of pupils in the state when the state government conducted a Baseline Assessment of primary schools in the state in November 2023.
“Our findings were shocking. After six years of primary school, 50 per cent of our children cannot read a single word in English and those who can read struggle with comprehension.
“50% of our children cannot solve simple subtraction challenges. What we found out in Enugu State is written large across our nation,” Onyia said.
Furthermore, the Secretary to the Enugu State Government noted that he was disappointed that in Nigeria, 3 out of 4 children who completed basic education lack numeracy and literacy proficiency.“The World Bank, UNICEF, and UNESCO have defined this as ‘the Nigerian Learning Crisis’.
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Mr Onyia, however, revealed that the state government education policy has been repositioned to integrate innovative technologies into education, particularly at the basic education level, with the goal that it would drive industrial growth.He further disclosed that Gov. Peter Mbah had made deliberate efforts to reform the education system of Enugu State to meet the changing global demands.
According to him, the Enugu State Government is already addressing the numeracy and literacy proficiency gap through well-thought-out radical policy initiatives, such as the introduction of a smart school model across the 260 electoral wards in the state.
Recall that about two months ago, Gov. Peter Mbah had revealed his administration’s plans to build a model smart school in each of the 260 wards of Enugu State in 14 months.
Gov. Mbah had disclosed that the model smart schools would feature facilities such as centres for artificial intelligence and robotics, and interactive smart boards among others, while the teachers who will pilot the affairs of the school were undergoing training by global experts.
Speaking further, the SSG noted that the academic curricula that are now adopted across the state prioritise experiential learning methods, problem-solving and case studies.
Mr Onyia pointed out that the changes in the state’s education sector would equip students with emerging technological skills and also give them opportunities to compete with their peers globally
“In Enugu State, we now believe that in addition to providing continuous training and professional development to teachers within the school systems, we must also transform how teachers teach, as well as how students learn,” the SSG said.
