Dr Kanelechi Nwangwa, Abia Commissioner for Education says the state will partner telecommunications service providers to encourage online lectures for tertiary institutions students during the Coronavirus break.
Nwangwa disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Aba on Wednesday.
NAN reports that Abia Gov., Okezie Ikpeazu, last week announced the immediate closure of tertiary institutions in the state in the bid to stop the spread of Coronavirus into the state.
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Ikpeazu during the briefing said that tertiary institutions in Abia would be given N10 million each to enable them to set up mechanisms to teach their students using the internet until the break ended.
“I know that we have only very few places where we cannot boast of network service.
“But Just as you have suggested, we will go into that aspect trying to get to the network providers to work out a partnership because the partnership with them is a good idea,” he said.
Nwangwa said the effects of the decision to curb the spread of the virus including the closure of schools had left the state with “a situation” on their hands.
He noted that many undergraduates in tertiary institutions had laptops stressing that their capacity to connect to the network for the teaching project would not be a big problem.
“Part of what is happening is to get them (the schools) to change their system and incorporate that online learning aspect.
“The money is supposed to help them build it up and start using it before but the intention is for them to start using it now,” he said.
Nwangwa pointed out that network providers in Abia had very effective data service which would enable many of the students to access the project.
“You know that necessity is the mother of invention. I think that the moment that the system is started, many of them will cut into it.
“It is the conviction of the government that starting it will be a step in the right direction.
“It may not achieve everything it is set to achieve immediately but I know that with time, many of them will get used to it and the students will be better for it,” he said.
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