Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, on Tuesday inaugurated secondary schools in rural communities of Fikiyel and Balbaya, with students being subjected to learning with a digital tablet in the classroom, thereby exposing them to a digital environment.
The governor inaugurated the three blocks of 20 classrooms and a four-block of 20 classrooms at the Government Secondary Schools (GSSs) Fikiyel and Balbaya, in the Bayo Local Government Area of the state.
Mr Zulum, however, expressed his administration’s determination to supply more digital equipment and tablets to the newly constructed schools in rural communities and beyond.
Each student in the school was given a tablet for digital learning with the support of digital teachers, helping students to adopt the use and application of digital apps and e-textbooks at their comfort level in the classroom.
The governor also directed the Ministry of Education to ensure the digitalisation of all public secondary schools in the state for the integration of digital tools, e-learning platforms, and smart classrooms.
He, however, commended the contractors and suppliers for a job well done, adding that the quality of desks in the school was designed to last for more than 20 years.
Each school was equipped with modern classrooms, laboratories, libraries, sports facilities and an administrative complex.
However, the governor also laid a foundation stone of Bayo High Islamic College in Fikayel with 48 classrooms that would accommodate 3,000 students.
Mr Zulum said the High Islamic College was designed to integrate out-of-school children, particularly Almajirai, into a formal and modern educational system.
According to him, the college will run a hybrid curriculum based on the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), combining core Islamic education with contemporary science, technology and humanities.
He said, “It is our sincere hope that the people of Fikayel will benefit from this school because we are targeting the enrolment of out-of-school children into this school so that learners can learn Arabic, and then we shall streamline the non-formal educational system (Sangaya System) into the formal educational system by introducing intensive literacy, intensive numeracy, digital literacy and, above all, vocational training. “
Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Education, Lawan Wakilbe, stated that high Islamic colleges were already built in 20 local government areas of the state.
(NAN)