Academics who’re caught within the outdated methods are stalling the nation’s digital schooling drive, hindering the preparation of younger individuals for future jobs.

Schooling consultants say such academics’ restricted digital abilities can hinder the nation’s quest to successfully combine expertise into the classroom, leading to poor scholar engagement and tutorial efficiency.

The Academics Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) lately reported that about 32.38 p.c of candidates who sat the Skilled Qualifying Examination (PQE) failed attributable to poor digital literacy abilities.

Equally, in 2024, Enugu State authorities carried out a computer-based take a look at (CBT) for the recruitment of academics into the state’s Good Inexperienced Faculties, and solely about 25 p.c of the 17,620 candidates handed.

These poor outcomes depict poor digital abilities of academics in Nigeria because the federal authorities insists on CBT examinations for public examinations.

Based on the Common Primary Schooling Fee, 50 p.c of Nigeria’s public faculties lack digital services, with solely 36 p.c of the inhabitants utilizing the web and 78 p.c of kids missing digital literacy abilities.

Learn additionally: TRCN: Low digital literacy attributed to 4,169 academics’ examination failure

Challenges

Nubi Achebo, director of educational planning on the Nigerian College of Expertise and Administration (NUTM), stated the directive to undertake CBT for the West African Senior College Certificates Examination (WASSCE) and the Nationwide Examinations Council (NECO) examinations by 2026 shouldn’t be possible, given the present state of digital literacy amongst academics and infrastructure in faculties.

“Many faculties lack the mandatory digital services to assist CBT exams. WAEC and NECO plan to companion with designated centres to deal with this subject.

“With academics struggling to show digital abilities, it’s unsure whether or not they can successfully switch these abilities to college students,” he stated.

Jessica Osuere, chief govt officer at RubbiesHub Instructional Companies, frowned on the directive, insisting schooling shouldn’t be an affordable enterprise.

Osuere emphasised that getting academics skilled and re-trained is a serious prerequisite for changing into a instructor.

“The federal government shouldn’t be able to spend on their academics within the public faculties, whereas most non-public faculties are all out for revenue and wouldn’t need to spend something additional on coaching their academics.

“This creates a widening hole between college students in well-equipped city faculties and people in much less privileged environments,” she stated.

Isaiah Ogundele, an educator, emphasised that the digital talent must be obligatory for all academics as they can’t impression college students if they don’t have the abilities.

To attain the digitalisation objective, he stated, “there must be digital laboratories and gear in all the agricultural and concrete faculties. There have to be fixed electrical energy provide and/or various sources of energy, akin to photo voltaic, have to be put in place.”

Potential impression on college students

Achebo emphasised that college students with out entry to digital services or satisfactory digital literacy coaching can be deprived, doubtlessly resulting in poor efficiency and elevated examination malpractice.

“Some college students may be excluded from taking part in CBT exams attributable to restricted entry to expertise, notably these in rural or underserved areas,” he famous.

Proper method

Achebo suggested that the federal government ought to introduce CBT exams step-by-step, beginning with pilot programmes, to establish and deal with challenges.

He reiterated the necessity for instructor coaching, which he stated would improve educators’ and college students’ digital abilities.

“Present complete coaching for academics to reinforce their digital literacy abilities and guarantee they will successfully assist college students.

“Spend money on digital infrastructure, together with CBT centres and web connectivity, to assist the transition,” he burdened.

Equally, Osuere stated, “When academics usually are not digitally literate, they can’t adequately put together college students for CBT.

“Many faculties, particularly in rural and underserved areas, lack the fundamental infrastructure like computer systems, dependable energy, and web entry, that are wanted to assist digital studying.”

To handle these challenges, she stated there’s a want for a nationwide upskilling initiative to coach academics in digital literacy and pedagogy. “Digital schooling should even be built-in into instructor coaching curricula,” she burdened.

Osuere emphasised that whereas the CBT is a progressive step, it have to be matched with strategic investments in instructor capability and faculty infrastructure to keep away from establishing each academics and college students for failure.

Ogundele doesn’t imagine the federal government is able to begin the CBT examinations in 2026 throughout the board, contemplating the services in place.

“The federal government might need their set time, simply pushing for individuals to not relaxation on their oars as a result of we Africans don’t like change.

“The federal government wants to supply a form of refresher course and make it obligatory with a set time for each instructor in Nigeria to attend,” he stated.