Lagos, Ogun takes to electronic learning approach for pupils amid schools’ closure

Determined to compensate primary and secondary school pupils for the time lost due to the restriction placed on schools across the States to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, Lagos and Ogun States Ministry of Education have commenced the transmission of subject classes through digital broadcasting.

The Lagos State Government has made arrangements to air lessons in eight subjects on Wazobia FM and Wazobia TV, daily, while the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has also planned programmes for all classes on its Interactive Radio Instruction initiative on Radio Lagos and Eko F.M.

On the part of Ogun State, the digital classes tagged “Ogun DigiClass has commenced and is being aired on the Ogun State Television, OGTV.

Dapo Abiodun, Ogun State governor disclosed this on his twitter handle @dabiodunMFR saying the initiative will be facilitated by the State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and will be handled by experienced educators on core topics.

Abiodun says the morning session will be aired between 9 am – 11 am, while the afternoon session will be aired between 1 pm-2 pm.

According to him, “The interactive class, which will allow for questions from viewing pupils and students, can be watched online by those who do not have access to the televised sessions via http://ogundigiclass.ng

Abiodun urged Parents and guardians to allow and enable their children and wards to benefit from this initiative.

Folasade Adefisayo, Lagos State Commissioner for education says the process is a fulfilment of her promise that teachers would record lessons in eight subjects targeted at JSS3 and SS3 pupils preparing for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BACE) and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The subjects are: Mathematics, English, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Literature in English, Financial Accounting, Yoruba and Economics.

According to a schedule shared by the public Affairs unit of the Ministry of Education, the lesson would air 11am-1pm Mondays to Thursdays and feature call-in tutorial class on Fridays.

The television version would air 2pm-4pm Mondays to Thursdays, while a repeat broadcast would feature 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

The lessons for primary school pupils will air for Primary 1 and 2 pupils Mondays to Thursdays on Radio Lagos 107.5 FM in the mornings from 9.30am; while programmes for Primary 3-6 pupils will air on Eko FM between 10.30am and 12.35 pm on same days.

The government came up with the TV lessons to reduce the negative impact of school closures as a result of the COVID-19 on pupils.

The state shut schools on March 23 – two weeks to the end of the second term to mitigate the spread of the highly-infectious virus.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has since suspended the WASSCE for school candidates 2020 until the health situation improves.

Adefisayo urged parents to support the State Government’s efforts by ensuring that their children have access to these programmes initiated to refresh their minds and prepare them for the forthcoming examinations, adding that Lagosians should not panic about the pandemic. She concluded that as a responsive government, the virus will be contained and the children will be back to school in due time.