An educationist, Professor Abiola Awosika-Fapetu, has advised schools across Nigeria to explore the use of internet in teaching students while they wait for the Ebola Virus Disease to be adequately contained by the government.
Professor Awosika-Fapetu, on Wednesday said that the use of the internet would ensure that the pupils do not lose four weeks of study time while waiting for the Ebola outbreak to come to an end.
After some deaths were recorded in Lagos State in south-west Nigeria due to the Ebola outbreak, the government postponed schools’ resumption date by four weeks in order to ensure that the epidemic was contained before the pupils return to school.
However, some school children have expressed fears that it would make them lose a reasonable amount of time and that they would be made to face the challenge of having to learn so many things withing a short period of time.
However, Professor Awosika-Fapetu said that the four weeks could be handled well, if school teaches would consider creating groups on social networks and providing online teaching sessions to the children.
“The school should work double time for the children to make the deadlines because the time has been lost. The cost on the teachers and the children is something that the school has to bear.
“Children have the capacity to get anything that we throw at them. We have to make sure that we plan it well.
“Schools can get in touch with students while they are at home, via facebook and other social media.
“We need to take a stand on the use of technology in our schools,” the Rector of Olawoyin School of Innovative Studies said. [eap_ad_2] She further urged the government to ensure that the cost that the Ebola outbreak could place on the institutions was accommodated in its budget.
She pointed out that if the spread of the disease was not checked, it would have a multiplier effect on the economy.
“The government needs to be prepared to deal with the cost of the aftermath of this. It is good for some and bad for some.
“We need to be cautious not to take undue advantage of what this is doing. Prices of sanitisers have gone up. People are getting exploited and the government should check these excesses,” she said.
She further emphasised the need for parents to inculcate in their children the culture of hand washing and other hygiene practices that would make them stay safe.
“The children are very absorbent. If you tell them exactly what it means and what will happen if they do not wash their hands every time they will abide by it.
She advised schools to make use of diagrams and their notice boards in sensitising the students when they return to school. (Channels tv)[eap_ad_3]
