The Lagos State Government, in collaboration with Microsoft Office, through ATB Techsoft Solutions, has concluded plans to train 18,000 of its teachers on “Digital Literacy” from Monday, April 27, 2020, as part of activities designed to fully engage staff of the State Post-Primary Teaching Service during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

The Honourable Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, who disclosed this through a telephone interview on Thursday, noted that the training programme, tagged “Work-From-Home, Remote Teaching and Learning for Lagos State Secondary School Teachers”, is aimed at enhancing teachers digital literacy.

According to her, “The digital training will involve mentoring, observing, creating and sharing subject-specific content, accessing interactive classes from mobile phones and devices. It will also cover diagnosing and understanding learning needs and challenges, assigning homework, giving feedbacks and auto-grading quizzes/tests remotely as well as internal stakeholders’ engagement”.

Mrs. Adefisayo, therefore, expressed optimism on the huge benefits the training will have on the overall technology transformation of the school system in the State after completion.

On her part, the Chairman, Lagos State Teaching Service Commission, (TESCOM), Mrs. Elizabeth Ariyo, extolled the highly robust content of the training programme and its sustainability on the long-term as part of Microsoft Office Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), noting that the programme can easily be accessed via computers, mobile phones and other smart devices by up to one million students, teachers and officials at a time.

Mrs. Ariyo applauded the efforts of Microsoft Office through their representative, ATB Techsoft Solutions, in utilising the lockdown period to equip, train and engage Secondary School Teachers, adding that the programme will enhance teachers’ performance in the discharge of their duties of imparting knowledge to the younger generations.

Speaking on the merits of the Digital Literacy Training programme, the Permanent Secretary, Teaching Service Commission(TESCOM), Mrs. Toyin Awoseyi, expressed optimism that the laudable concept and initiative will enable teachers to discover the right digital skills, new mindsets and behaviours appropriate in the new learning ecosystem for better students’ performance and global acceptance in their academics.

She urged teachers and other participants to take the programme seriously and maximise the opportunity provided to improve themselves, assuring that the State Government will not relent in its commitment to advance the standard of teaching and learning outcomes in the State.