OEQA & HP COLLABORATES ON INNOVATION AND DIGITAL EDUCATION
The Lagos State Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA) collaborates with HP Innovation and Digital Education Academy, Middle East & Africa (HP IDEA-MEA) to support public school teachers to bridge the digital and innovative gaps in teaching and learning, assess and evaluate the level of teachers coaching effectiveness and transform their digital pedagogies to the 21st century inventive teaching skills.
In her welcome address at the preliminary innovative solutions proffered and executed by 18 distinguished HP IDEA fellows from public primary and secondary schools across all the Lagos State Education Districts and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), the Director General, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Mrs. Abiola Seriki-Ayeni disclosed that the HP IDEA and OEQA collaboration started in November 2020 with 42 primary and secondary school teachers from the State 6 education districts participating in the inaugural orientation of the One Year Immersive Teachers Development and Assessment Programme. In her words, “Today, these teachers have been technologically skilled and have become creative problem solvers with the aim to transform and flourish digital prowess in the 21st century”.
The Director General who congratulated the first cohorts of HP IDEA fellows who have excelled and positively impacted learners, teachers and schools with tech values stated that this platform is a giant leap that identifies and provides opportunities to acquire education, mentoring and tutoring and tech skills to drive the transformation of teachers and reposition education for the 21st century global best practices.
Speaking at the event, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Investment, Mrs. Solape Hammond stated that the collaboration between OEQA and HP IDEA on Innovation and Education is a cutting edge in learning, resilience and responsiveness that every educator must dream of in the 21st century. Commending the Fellows, she disclosed that this innovative partnership from Dubai is a life changing opportunity due to the presentations from the Fellows.
Mrs. Solape Hammond disclosed that the pass rate in Lagos State in Y2020 was 65%: private schools 78% and public schools 39%. According to her, this turned around in 2021 where public schools pass rate moved up to 78% and tilting towards 100% which she added that the intervention of Mr. Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu in the education sector through the Ministry of Education is working and yielding results. Therefore, we need partners like HP IDEA-MEA continual support for the education sector in teacher’s development framework and the improvement of learning outcomes.
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mr. Abolaji Abayomi urged the HP IDEA Fellows to continue to develop their teaching skills, stating that teaching is no longer straight-jacketed but collaborative as it has gone beyond the four walls of the classroom. According to him, traditional teaching has moved to mentoring, tutoring, coaching and resourceful teaching.
The Managing partner of MIRAI and HP IDEA programme, Mrs. Christine Nasserghodsi disclosed that the HP Innovation and Digital Education Academy (IDEA) began in late 2020 where teachers where instructed to assess their pedagogy processes to build innovative teaching skills to address specific challenges they found in their schools including Mathematics. They have since been trained in the train the trainer model and skill their innovations to numerous solving challenges resulting in impact in over 18 thousand students.
”Today, they are sharing the experience with a wider audience which include the Special Adviser to the Governor on SDGs Mrs. Solape Hammond, the SSA to the Governor on SDGs, Mr. Lekan Fatodu, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education, Mr. Abayomi Abolaji, the DG OEQA Mrs. Abiola Seriki-Ayeni and other dignitaries”. The great news according to Mrs. Nasserghodsi is that the programme is now annual and in the 3rd year. “Not only that we are adding fellows, but up-skilling the innovations of existing HP IDEA fellows both with traditional and online training programmes.
Abiola Seriki-Ayeni
Director General
Office of Education Quality Assurance
Lagos State.
10th May, 2022.