The Osun state government yesterday became the first state to adopt digital mode of learning in secondary education in Nigeria with the launch of Opon Imo (Tablet of Knowledge) in Lagos.
Speaking during the launch, Mrs. Titi Laoye Tomori, deputy governor, Osun state who is also the Commissioner for Education said the initiative is one of the rescue strategies to salvage education in the state from total collapse as recommended by education experts and stakeholders during the Education Summit in the state in 5-7 February, 2011.
Opon Imo (Tablet of Knowledge) is a specially designed gadget for students in senior secondary school in the state. The tablet is preloaded with lesson notes on seventeen (17) subjects offered by students in the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) and NECO. It also contains six extra –curricular subjects including Sexuality Education, Entrepreneurship, Computer Education, Civic Education, Yoruba history and the Yoruba traditional religion.
Tomori further noted that the device is an indigenous Computer Programmed Instruction (CPI) with locally produced content and design which is capable of making education available to all including those that were hitherto disadvantaged in the past adding that is the major focus of the current administration.
“It (Tablet of Knowledge) will drive democratization of education regardless of the student’s background. We want to ensure no child is left out in the knowledge economy the state is driving”, says Tomori.
The tablets which are preloaded with games that challenge intellectual capacity of students like Chess, Soduku have no internet access on them. According to the deputy governor, “this was done to restrict students to only academic activities’’, she noted.
She also boasted that the device is the first gadget in the world to specifically address special education needs. “Opon Imo( Tablet of Knowledge ) is the first ever in the world to address specific educational needs. Though there are kindles, Laptops, Tablets but they are not uniquely designed to address special needs like this”, she boasted.
Over 150,000 units will be made available to students in the state, the state said. Also, the state government said it has signed MOU with a Chinese firm to establish a factory in the state for the production of the gadgets.
When asked about the training of teachers who are the main drivers of the initiative, Tomori responded saying the teachers are periodically undergoing training and retraining in collaboration with the Osun State University. Also, fear of durability of the gadget was allayed saying it is made of special fiber that makes it more durable than other tablets.
The state government also noted the issue of erratic power supply especially in the rural areas was taking into consideration during the design making its solar powered.
Also in attendance during the launch are Oluwaseun Ngonnase, Project Coordinator, Opon Imo Initiative who is also Head Technology Division, Phillips Consulting limited, Labiran Gboyega, Public Relations Aide to Osun State deputy governor, Olufemi Fawole, Permanent Secretary , Miinstry of Education and Hon Bola Ilori , Special Adviser to the Governor on environment and Sanitation.
