The Governor of Ondo State, Arakurin Olurotimi Akeredolu has commissioned a state-of-the-art digital resource centre at Owo High School, Owo, Ondo State.
The Digital Resource Centre which was donated by Foluso Falaye, President and Managing Director, CBC Emea Group of Companies and an alumnus of Owo High School, is expected to improve the quality of education and learning delivery in the school.
The Governor who was represented by his Deputy, Hon. Agboola Ajayi, while commissioning the facility thanked the donor of the centre, and individuals who have contributed various awards towards achieving the vision of turning Owo High School into a centre of excellence for the gesture, vowing that his administration will not relent in creating an enabling environment needed for moral and functional education in the state.
“I thank you for your desire to complement the efforts of the present administration. The state government believes that we must use technology, not just to educate our people, but also to create jobs. When the present administration was sworn in, we pledged that we were going to make sure we use technology to drive activities.
“As at today, we have established three state hubs in each of the three Senatorial Districts of Ondo State. One is at FUTA, Akure, another at Ondo State University of Technology and the other at the State Polytechnic Owo. That is to tell you that this administration is doing a lot toward the development of technological education and empowering our people towards catching up with current trends in the world.
The governor also announced a special arrangement between the NDDC and Ondo State Government to introduce the use of tablets in all state primary and secondary schools, thereby eliminating the use of text books. This, he said was recently agreed with the Vice President, Yemi Osibajo, the NDDC and all stakeholders.
He praised the effort of Folusho Falaye, describing it as a challenge and wakeup call for all citizens especially those that have benefited from the public schools system. “Government cannot do it all. We must, as ex-students of different schools, give back to the schools that we have benefited from”.
He promised to give a face lift to Owo High School, while also promising that the access road leading to the school would be given immediate attention.
Earlier in his speech at the commissioning of the facility, the donor, Foluso Falaye, explained that the facility contained two learning areas each with sitting capacity of one -hundred students and two adjoining teacher preparatory rooms. These preparatory rooms are to be used by teachers/instructors to plan their lessons based on available contents on the digital platform.
“The facility has four bathrooms embedded and it is internet ready with WiFi facility. A generator is provided to guarantee electricity while in use. Each learning area is provided with 89 inch Interactive Digital Board (IDB) with full audio-visual facility and a computer notebook to drive delivery systems,” he explained.
“The facility can be used for several learning events including but not limited to curriculum-based learning such as preparing students for WASC, JAMB, NECO, etc. It can be used for non-curricula learning such as introducing children to the art of computer programming, Web Development, Robotics etc. It could be used for special seminars which could be focused on any development agenda. It could be used for teacher professional development programs and any such collaborative learning engagement,” he also stated.
Falaye said that apart from computers to drive the IDBs, additional computers have not been provided as students would be encouraged to own their computers/tablets/phablets as the case may be”.
He expressed the optimism that “if the facility is put to good use, it would encourage learning by students and can refocus their energy in the right direction. There are a number of ideas that are currently in development stage looking at more ways to use the facilities to groom and mentor young children. These ideas are currently being evaluated and would mature in due course”.
“In conceptualising this project, I took thoughts of the rapid and changing knowledge delivery system which is today hinged on the expanding technological innovation. It is very clear that if our society is to bridge the education gap by benchmarking with the advanced countries and making our children more globally competitive, we must change our delivery methodology, modernise our infrastructure and adopt digital education. The scale of challenge today suggests that continued adoption of traditional delivery methodologies will lead us to nowhere”.
He called on all beneficiaries of public schools system to rise up to the challenge of restoring the schools to their lost glory. “It is a debt on all such beneficiaries who by the grace of God have been endowed in one way or the other with the capacity to make contributions no matter how miniscule it may appear to be. It is in this combined commitment of all and sundry to the single purpose of restoration that we will see redemption,” he appealed