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•SUBEB chair: We’re only replacing contents in e-learning programmes, not the tablets

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

Edo State Government has refuted rumours that it is phasing out the educational tablets introduced by the immediate past government of Godwin Obaseki to boost e-learning in the state.

Executive Chairman of Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mrs. Onomen Goodness Briggs, who made the refutation in an interview with newsmen in Benin City on Monday, said the state was only replacing the contents of the tablets.

Rumours had it that the Governor Monday Okpebholo government had concluded plans to phase out the e-learning programme in public schools.

The e-learning programme introduced by the immediate past government involved the use of digital tablets and uniform lesson plan by the teachers to teach those in the basic schools, from primary to the Junior Secondary level as part of the EdoBest programme.

Briggs said replacement of the contents became necessary due to the obsolete nature of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) curriculum at the time the contents were created by the immediate past government.

She also disclosed that the tablets were for Edo State, while the contents were for consultants employed by the past government to run the programme.

Briggs added that experts in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) were already creating a portal for the contents, assuring that when completed the state government can sell the portal to other states, and even other countries, for revenue generation.

She stated, “We heard that people are saying that we want to phase out the use of digital tablets to teach in our schools by the state government.

“I want to clarify that we are not phasing out the programme, but we are only replacing the contents in line with the current Universal Basic Education curriculum.

“The curriculum that was operating when the tablet was introduced by the immediate past government is obsolete, so we are currently developing new content to replace that.

“The tablets the teachers are using are for Edo State, and when you hear that they are withdrawing the tablet, it is not the tablet that they are withdrawing but the contents.”

Briggs explained, “The EdoBest issue is that the contents are the consultants’ property and not for Edo State. So, for retaining it, it means we are going to keep the consultants in the state forever and ever for us to keep using those contents.

“It is about the contents and not the containers. The container is our own (tablets). We have already bought it, even though it is not in all schools in the state.”

The SUBEB boss also disclosed that in collaboration with staff, the board had been able to create its own contents.

She said the content is made up of curriculum and schemes of work that the teachers would be using to teach pupils and students.

Briggs stated, “As we speak, in collaboration with my teams, we have been able to create our own content. Even right now, by the grace of God, by the time we finish, those in charge of the ICT are already creating a portal.

“So, we have gotten a set of intelligent people among the civil servants. They are not from outside. They are all SUBEB staff.

“They picked from the national curriculum, picked from the scheme of work, they used our books that have been approved and got the content out, and now you can still teach across the board the same thing.

“The tablets are our equipment we can put our content there. That is what our ICTs are trying to do. So, they can still go to the APP and use it.

“When we finish, Edo State can start selling it to other states and other countries, and start making our own money”