The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) for the hosting of the Post Graduate Diploma in Smart Education (PGDSE) for teachers in the Internship Scheme.
Executive secretary of UBEC, Dr. Hamid Bobboyi and vice chancellor of NOUN, Professor Olufemi Peters signed the document on behalf of their respective organisations, signalling the commencement of the postgraduate course aimed at improving the quality of teachers in Nigeria.
Bobboyi in his remark, revealed that Teacher Internship Scheme was initiated to improve the quality of teaching and learning in schools specifically emphasising the use of technology in providing engaging, motivating, collaborative and personalised learning experience for learners.
“As part of efforts towards achieving this, the Commission included a six month Smart Education Primer course and a One year Post Graduate Diploma in Smart Education in the 2 year Teacher Internship Scheme programme.
“This capacity building programmes is aimed at equipping the interns with skills for assisting teachers in the UBEC Model/Smart schools and Effective schools in the delivery of technology driven teaching and learning.
“As a world class education Intervention and regulatory agency, the Commission is preparing its teachers through the PGD in Smart Education course to produce globally competitive learners who achieve outstanding results,” he stated.
He underscored the transformative changes in the education sector brought about by technological advancement, saying integration of technology in teaching and leaming is reshaping the educational landscape and this holds immense promise in enhancing educational outcomes and promoting lifelong learning.
“With this, the learners are able to effectively navigate the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world,” Bobboyi noted.
He explained that at the moment, the interns to participate are education graduates, noting that access is being opened to enable as many as possible gain knowledge of smart education and increase the rate of literacy in technology pedagogy in the schools in Nigeria.
He maintained that the participants who are in the pilot programme would man the Smart schools, UBEC Effective School programme and other facilities in the basic education programme that are geared towards the use of technology in the classroom.
The vice chancellor of NOUN, Olufemi Peters, on his part said the meeting was strategic because it has to do with the mandates of the two organisations, which has to do with provision of quality education at different levels.
