By Abiodun Lawal

Ogun Government is partnering with telecommunications service providers to provide free internet service to students for e-learning in public secondary and primary schools in the state.

Gov. Dapo Abiodun disclosed this on Monday at the 2020 International Students’ Day, held at the Cultural centre, Kuto, Abeokuta.

The governor said that the free data would enable the students to have access to learning materials such as digital textbooks, audio textbooks, among others.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, the government had introduced a digital class for primary and secondary school students to aid learning during their stay at home.

The governor, who spoke through the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, said that the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic had made the adoption of virtual learning inevitable.

The governor said that the deployment of smartphones and tablets for e-learning, coupled with the provision of free data would go a long way in assisting students in their learning even when they were not in school.

Abiodun added that the new teaching method, aided by technology, would improve the standard of education and also increase students’ enrollment in schools.

“During the lockdown when it was not possible for us to come to school, we introduced the Ogun digital class.

“What we are doing now is to improve on that to the extent that more and more students will be able to benefit from it.

“We are working on a programme through which telecoms providers will assist so that students can have free data to be able to access digital materials,” he said.

Speaking on the theme of the celebration: “Harnessing The Articulacy and Vibrancy of Nigeria Student Leaders for Larger Politics”, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Students Matters, Adeyemi Azeez, said this year’s celebration was to harness the potentials of the students into the larger polity.

Adeyemi noted that the present administration led by Gov. Abiodun had maintained a very good relationship with the students and recognised students as partners in progress.

He added that the celebration was to mentor the students and prepare them for future responsibilities and improve on the good legacies laid by the forebearers.

-NAN