As Anambra State deepens its ambitious education reforms, the “Smart School” initiative has emerged as the cornerstone of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo’s broader vision to transform the state into a technology-driven smart mega city.
In this exclusive interview with Core Truth, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, provides insight into the philosophy, structure, and sustainability of the Smart School project, describing it as the bedrock of the governor’s educational transformation agenda.
According to the Commissioner, the Smart School vision is rooted in the belief that a modern smart city can only be inhabited by technologically equipped and morally grounded citizens. To achieve this, the state government has begun systematically upgrading public schools with smart technology infrastructure, trained personnel, and enhanced learning environments.
Excerpts
Core Truth: Kindly let us into the inspiration behind the Smart School Initiative?
Chuma-Udeh: The smart school vision is a very simple and concise one. Mr Governor is building Anambra into a smart mega city, which can only be inhabited by smart citizens with characters. And such characters can only be formed in smart educational schools.
Technology critical
The governor’s intent is that the world which is becoming a global village is governed by technology. The smart school is the rudiment of technology. So the governor is upgrading the schools because that’s the core of technology. For the children to be useful at home and exportable abroad, they have to be technologically equipped. That’s the whole essence of the smart school.
Core Truth: How does that link to Soludo’s educational transformation agenda?
Chuma-Udeh: The smart school is the core of the transformation agenda Mr Governor is bringing to Anambra educational space. That’s his core innovation aside the employment of teachers to match the smart school. You know the school is a triangular thing – the teachers, brick and mortar (infrastructure) as well as the students. It’s a very scary and stormy revolution.
Core Truth: Any partnership with the home-front to ensure this succeeds?
Chuma-Udeh: When you talk of the formal schools’ setting, the home front is just there to bring their children to school. The school ordinarily is not a profit-making venture. As you know, the Governor has provided a holistic free education. We only expect the home to do the work – the nature and nurture. The home is expected to work on the students’ morals to complement what they’re receiving from the school.
Conversion of all schools
Core Truth: How soon will the entire schools be converted to smart schools?
Chuma-Udeh: As we speak, there are 22 smart schools in the state; one from each local government plus one, which is the alma mater of Mr Governor – that is Uga Boys. All of them have been fully raised to smart schools. The teachers have been trained, and knowledge updated to march the classroom encounter needed for these smart equipments.
It’s a kind of continuous upgrade of knowledge. This is the first phase which has been successfully completed. The next phase would soon follow. But there’s a little diversion. Mr Governor noticed that there are some communities in Anambra without public schools. And the children of these communities aren’t benefitting from the free education initiative. So, he decided to build schools for them.
The unity schools we met were moribund. So, the governor is systematically remolding them at the same time building new ones where there are none. His intent again is to bring education to the door steps of every child in the state; to ensure equitable educational empowerment is rendered to every single child living in the state, regardless of state of origin.
Core Truth: Is there plan to convert the entire schools in the state to smart schools?
Chuma-Udeh: That will be dependent on the resources available to the governor. But the governor I know will want to, with a wave of hand turn every school in Anambra into a smart school. But it needs serious planning as he that fails to plan had already planned to fail. He’s only taking the initiative bit by bit. With the success of the first phase, the second phase I believe will be much easier, having passed the terrain before.
Manpower upgrade
Core Truth: How are you bringing the manpower to speed to match with the technology being introduced?
Chuma-Udeh: Like I said earlier, the teachers are undergoing a kind of continuous upgrade of knowledge. Remember the governor, in assumption employed 8115 teachers, out of which over 400 are-ICT compliant and are being trained alongside others who will manage the smart schools. So manpower is not a challenge.
The technology in the smart schools is enhancing performance and achievements. It’s exposing the children to wider range of knowledge. It’s technology at their fingertips. That’s the beauty of smart schools.
Core Truth: Although you described the process as successful, we’ll like to ascertain from you if there challenges at all?
Chuma-Udeh: I don’t think there’s anything in this world without disadvantages. Even the food we eat and water we drink have their disadvantages. We’re experiencing some teething problems. The major one is over-subscribing. Every parent wants their children to benefit from this smart schools initiative. This has led to students flooding the smart schools. So, we are trying to contain overpopulation.
The governor in his education-loving spirit is also building new infrastructure to meet up with the demands. As per security, since the schools are handed over to the towns where they’re located, the Presidents-General, the monarchs and the locals have the duty to protect what have been installed in their locality. If any misses, they pay.
Sustainability concerns
Core Truth: A major concern with laudable initiative like this is sustainability. Can you share the plan for sustainability of the Smart Schools Initiative with us?
Chuma-Udeh: Well, education is a continuum. The schools we inherited were not pulled down. We are rather improving on them. Any well-meaning government that can’t sustain such initiative is not worthy to be called a government. This move is progressive revolution handed down for the benefit of the children. The governor has set a pace for future development in Anambra state. Any incoming governor will have to build on what the governor has done.
Core Truth: Has Anambra started reaping from this initiative?
Chuma-Udeh: The children are already in school. Teachers are doing their job. The smart equipment are already in use too and we are expecting positive results. We started jut this session and we are expectant. Remember, Anambra state has always been a number one state. We have been wining awards as our students have been representing Nigeria in many global competitions.
The education sector is growing in leap and bound. The smart schools will make Anambra shine brighter. We will remain at the top. With this revolution that Mr Governor is executing, the sky will be the starting point for every child in Anambra State.
Pace is set
Core Truth: Are you optimistic about sustainability of this noble initiative?
Chuma-Udeh: All I know and am still insisting on is that Mr Governor has set a pace and he will continue to set a pace. So, whoever is coming in will the structure that has been put in place and move on from there.
Core Truth: The first tenure is almost ending. What do we expect from Governor Soludo in their second tenure beginning March this year?
Chuma-Udeh: Well, it depends on Mr Governor. Appointments are his prerogatives. He is the one who will decide what the education sector will look like in his second tenure.
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