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Mrs Orieji Okwara Emele, the contractor handling the Abia Smart School Project, says despite media bashing of Governor Alex Otti over the ongoing Smart School Project, he is unrelenting in his efforts to enhance education in Abia to what obtains in developed countries of the world.
Addressing journalists on Monday, during the demolition of the Ogbo Model Primary School (Ogbo Central) Avo-Ipupe, Ubakala, Umuahia, to pave way for the retrofitting and eventual conversion to a Smart School, Mrs Emele, who is the Managing Director/CEO, Blue Giraffe Ltd, said Governor Otti is poised to provide similar smart schools existing in Ghana, Rwanda among other countries.
She stated that the Smart School proposed by the Governor Alex Otti government, will accommodate newly trained teachers, who at the end of the conversion, should be able to understand that the traditional way of teaching has been outlawed, adding that the teachers will be at par with people in the new world.
“If you go to a place like Ghana, or Kigali, you will find out that they’re already using the Smart School. Now we’re in the 21st century, so what we’re teaching the teachers are the 21st century pedagogy. That’s the method of teaching.
“Apart from the smartness of the school, we are training teachers, and the training is ongoing. We were here sometime in May, and we’re here again to train the teachers. So by the time they go through this rigorous training, they should be able to teach their kids according to the 21st century standard.
Speaking on equipment that defines a Smart School, Mrs Emele said, the Smart Board, Green Energy (solar system), the cameras which will make it easier to detect security breaches will all be provided, maintaining that it will also ensure that the environment is secured to guarantee sound teaching and learning.
She revealed that at the core of it all is the biometrics which makes provisions for finger capturing of teachers which goes to the dashboard stationed at the office of the Governor of the State Dr. Alex Otti or at the Ministry of Education, adding that the idea behind this, is to easily detect teachers who may likely lie that they are in school when they are not.
Mrs Emele revealed that the Smart School format will also help identify if a child is not doing well in class and the necessary feedback mechanism will immediately be sent to the teacher, adding that if a teacher is not teaching them well in English, the Governor will be able to identify such gap, insisting that the Smart School format will ensure there is no more late coming for the teachers and students, because the equipment to drive it is already on ground.
Responding to misconceptions about the Smart School Project, Mrs Emele, said Governor Otti did not have a true picture of what was going on in the schools and a clue of how the schools were looking like ab initio, stressing that when the Governor got the true information, he directed that the schools be fitted up properly for students or pupils.
She reminded those publishing fake videos, pictures and stories about the Smart School, that Governor Alex Otti will not be distracted by the fake media publications, reiterating that he is poised to ensure that every Abian of school age, gets qualitative education in a serene environment just as she challenged them to visit other states and compare the performance of Governor Alex Otti with his counterparts.
“Those publishing fake stories and videos about the Smart School Project, what states have they visited? And have you rated them? Our governor, Dr. Chioma Oti, OFR, I don’t think there’s anyone that has done as much as he has. It may not be visible because the previous people, I would not want to start mentioning names did not try. But for this little time that he has spent, two years, I mean, you people can see the difference.”
Also speaking, the Chairman, Blue Giraffe Ltd, Admiral Harvey Ngonadi, (Rtd), solicited the co-operation of the host community in securing the equipment for the Smart School Project, saying that security of property and the teachers is essential.
“The security of the property here and the workers who are going to work day and night in this place is essential. We need the co-operation of the locals, they need to be physically involved in what is going on here. What the Smart School entails is beyond what was here before now.
He also gave a hint of what will be seen in the Smart School, saying, “We’re going to have an off-grid system here completely. The Smart School board itself, the technology we’re deploying here runs into millions, so we’ll need the community to be involved. It’s a whole of community approach”.
Contributing, the Headmistress, Ogbo Model Primary School, Mrs Blessing Akanu who spoke through her Assistant, Mrs. Okorofor Ivuoma, appreciated the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti for embarking on the retrofitting of schools and conversion to Smart School.
She also applauded the Governor for enhancing the welfare of teachers, saying they are already motivated and gearing up to align with the Smart School initiative, adding that they are already receiving trainings to align with the new order.
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