by Martha Agas
Jos – An organisation, the Kukah Centre, on Tuesday in Jos donated more than 300 tablets to 10 public schools in Plateau, to shore up efforts in facilitating school children’s access to global digital technology.
Speaking whilst making the donation at the headquarters of the Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr Lawson Eselebor, the Project Manager of ProFutoro at the centre, said the intervention was in partnership with ProFuturo Foundation based in Spain .
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 8 sets of equipment, each containing 48 tablets, a laptop, router and a Mini Projector, were donated.
“We want to facilitate equal platform for children in exposing them to technology innovation, which would aid their learning ability. The project aims at bridging technological gap in less privileged communities.
“The access to these items would ensure ease in writing computer based examinations, we noted that many people fail these exams because they were not exposed to using such technology,” he claimed.
The NGO official said that the items donated would also increase the knowledge of teachers on digital technology, adding that the tablet was user friendly where pupils can answer questions and get automatic grading.
Eselebor commended Plateau for being the first state in Nigeria to comply in paying the counter-part funding required to access the equipment saying it was a laudable effort by the Gov. Lalong’s administration.
“We are also engaging external supervisors, who would come periodically to monitor the management of these equipment, we are also going to train the teachers on proper handling of the items,“ he said.
In his response, Prof. Mathew Sule, the Executive Chairman of SUBEB in Plateau, said the donations would shore up the state government’s efforts in building the capacity of teachers in digital technology .
He said modalities were put in place to ensure the safety and good management of the equipment to ensure the success of the project.
“ The beneficiaries schools were selected in the metropolis because criteria such as security and access to power was required as conditions before donations were made by the Non-Governmental Organisation.
NAN reports that the Kukah Centre is a Nigerian-based Policy research institute, founded by Most Rev Mathew Hassan Kukah, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto State.
Beneficiaries of the donation include; Fatima Private School, LEA School Kabong, LEA School Tudun Wada and St Paul’s Primary School, Jenta among others, also three private schools were also part of the 10 beneficiaries