The Kwara state government says its transformative digital educational programme in primary schools, tagged KwaraLearn programme, is helping to increase pupils’ enrolment in the past one year.
The Chairman of the state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Prof. Sheu Adaramaja, said this at the first annual performance review of the programme on Thursday in Ilorin.
Adaramaja said that KwaraLearn programme has also helped to track absentee teachers in primary schools since its commencement.
Adaramaja, who said that enrolment of school pupils in primary schools was 117,000 before commencement of the programme, disclosed that it had increased by 13 per cent.
The SUBEB boss also said that the programme, launched in April 2022, has made remarkable strides in improving primary education in the state.
Adaramaja disclosed that KwaraLearn is currently implemented in 872 primary schools across 10 local government areas in the state.
“The programme has trained over 6,500 teachers and enrolled more than 120,000 pupils.
”These numbers highlight the extensive reach and impact of KwaraLEARN in enhancing educational opportunities for Kwara state’s children.
”Our supervisors have devoted over 25,000 hours to providing invaluable support to schools, assisting teachers and head-teachers in delivering quality instruction.
”Additionally, we have distributed 1,184,915 textbooks and other learning materials to ensure that every student has access to essential resources,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, said that the state government was resolute in expanding the education programme to the remaining six local government areas of the state.
She added that it envisioned the programme extending to the Junior Secondary School level in the near future.
“This expansion will ensure a seamless and continuous educational journey for our students, preparing them for the challenges and opportunities ahead,” said Adeosun.
The Managing Director of the programme, Mr. Isiah Owolabi, said that over 7,000 teachers and head-teachers had been equipped with devices and empowered with necessary tools to enhance teaching practices.
“The results from the 2022-2023 school year demonstrate the effectiveness of the KwaraLEARN programme.
”Pupils have shown significant improvements in fluency, with notable gains observed in both progressive and primary schools during the first term,” he stated.
