3000 Osun teachers for digital literacy training

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, in collaboration with the Osun State Government and a non-governmental organisation, Teens Awareness Initiative, has unveiled a plan to train 3000 public school teachers in the state in digital literacy.

In the first phase of the training, about 500 participants, drawn from public primary and secondary schools in the state, were exposed to using the internet to get relevant information that would aid the teaching and learning process.

The digital literacy training for teachers in Osun is said to be the commencement of the Nigeria Learning Passport in the state, following the launch of the programme by the governor, Ademola Adeleke, on December 5, 2024.

Speaking with The PUNCH in Osogbo at one of the three centres where the participants were trained, the Programmes Director, Teens Awareness Initiative, Gbenga Oloke, said the initiative was funded by UNICEF to build an environment for children to learn and thrive in the digital world like their peers in other parts of the globe.

Oloke said, “We expect the teachers to transfer this knowledge to the children and ensure that the participants build a system whereby these children can fit in and function well in the digital world.

“The Things Awareness Initiative, an NGO, is supporting this programme organised by UNICEF.”

Oloke added, “UNICEF has done this in different states before Osun’s turn. We felt Osun should not lag behind because the world is evolving. So, our group brought UNICEF to Osun to organise this training and aid digital literacy in schools in the state.

“The participants were drawn from mainly public primary and secondary schools in the state. We have training going on in Osogbo, Ife, and Ede. We are targeting 3000 teachers that will be trained in digital literacy in the state.

“The motivation is to build an environment for children to learn and thrive in the digital world alongside their peers in other parts of the country and beyond.”

One of the participants, Lois Odeyemi, from CAC Grammar School, Osogbo, commended the organisers for their efforts towards enhancing Osun teachers’ abilities to impact knowledge.

Odeyemi, who teaches the French language, said the platform has made it possible for her to expose her students to the native speakers through the use of the internet to make learning easier and more effective.