In an effort to check the abysmal performance of her students in external examinations, Osun State government under the creative administration of Rauf Aregbesola has launched Opon Imo (tablet of Knowledge), a powerful education tool that aids teaching and learning in the state.
Speaking at the launch of the Opon Imo in Lagos recently, Grace Laoye-Tomori, deputy governor and commissioner for education Osun State said Opon Imo is an initiative of the governor to reverse the poor performance of students in external examinations and a way of democratising education.
Laoye-Tomori noted that the decision of the governor to get involved in the production of this device is a way to ensure that everybody, no matter their backgrounds, will have access to ICT as an educational tool for teaching and learning in the secondary schools in the state.
According to her, “We believe that with the powerful educational tool called tablet of knowledge, our students in the state of Osun will finally find a permanent solution to the abysmal performance in the educational system.
The deputy governor further explained that the process of Opon Imo makes teaching and learning very interesting and very easy for the students. “With this, the student can read at anytime and at any pace. And this device can help students revise what they have being taught in school.
“The Opon Imo contains 63 recommended books that students use in the state. In addition to that, there are over 40,000 questions on past Jamb examination, WAEC, NECO over the last ten years and a mock centre,” she said.
The educational tool which contains indigenous programmes with local language comprises lesson notes that the students use in school in addition, the lesson notes were written by their teachers for the 17 subjects students in Osun take in these external examinations.
To her, “the Opon Imo contains e-book library, with 63 books, 21 e-books each for SS1, 2 and 3 in addition to the e-books, books on the subjects the students offer in school. Books are also available on 6 extra-curricular subjects like sexuality education, computer education, entrepreneurship education, history of the Yoruba, civic education and Yoruba proverbs.”
KELECHI EWUZIE
