Education District II Hosts Governor, Deputy, SSG

               Education District II on Monday hosted the One-Day Governor of Lagos State, Miss Etiyemonu Esther of Lagos State Senior Model College, Igbokuta; the One-Day Deputy Governor, Miss Dorcas Oluyemisi Awoyemi of Ikosi Senior High School; and the One-Day Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Miss Jumai Olaide Salami of Angus Memorial Senior High School, at the District Headquarters in Maryland.

‎           Welcoming the contingents, the
Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary, Education District II, Mr. Omotayo Layemo Sanni, congratulated the awardees on their outstanding achievements and urged them to remain focused on their educational pursuits, noting that they should not be distracted by the glamour of the moment. He described their emergence as only the beginning of greater accomplishments and encouraged them to aim higher in their academic and personal development. Mr. Sanni also charged the parents of the beneficiaries to continue to guide and support the students, admonishing them not to rest on their oars, as greater heights still lie ahead.

         The TGPS commended the principals, teachers and Directors of Education in the District for their immense contributions to the continuous academic excellence recorded in Education District II. He noted that since the beginning of his administration, the district has witnessed “a galore of laurels” across various academic and leadership platforms. Recall that the 2024 edition of the One-Day Governor was won by Abdulrahman Abdulazeez of Orisun Senior Model College, while the 2023 edition was won by Miss Jemima Marcus of Angus Memorial Senior High School — all from Education District II, a trend that is as a testament to the quality of teaching and learning in the district.

‎                He further appreciated the Office of Education Quality Assurance and the Lagos State Government for sustaining the One-Day Governor Programmes for over 21 years through the New Era Foundation of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. Delivering her keynote address, the One-Day Governor, Miss Etiyemonu Esther, expressed gratitude to the Lagos State Government for its unwavering commitment to the growth of education in the State. She also appreciated the Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary for the fatherly role and guidance he has provided since assuming office.

‎                 She acknowledged the resilience, commitment and support of her principal, teachers and non-teaching staff throughout her journey to becoming the One-Day Governor, and encouraged fellow students across the State to remain determined and hardworking in order to attain greater heights in life.

‎Shidi AA

Education District II

Nigeria Accommodation Crisis - UNILAG May Allow Squatting, Sanction Racketeers.

            Faced with inadequate accommodation, as over 30,000 students compete for about 8,000 bed spaces, the management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) may approve squatting arrangements among students, while also pledging to sanction those involved in hostel racketeering.

           ‎The Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Musa Obalola, told an online publication: “We’re deeply concerned, and I can assure you that we have been trying our best to curb hostel racketeering as much as possible. “There are several stipulated sanctions for students who are caught selling either bed spaces or squatting spaces,” he said."The minimum you can get is two or one semester suspension."

‎          The Dean of Student Affairs (DSA) explained that punishments would be imposed only after a suspected racketeer is caught, tried, and found guilty by the university’s Student Disciplinary Board. When asked about measures to address the challenges of inadequate hostels and racketeering, Prof. Obalola said that once hostel allocations are made to successful applicants, the school issues hostel ID cards, while staff conduct random checks to ensure compliance.

‎         He warned that the university would take strict action against anyone caught engaging in illegal activities. “Some students don’t consider the circumstances surrounding accommodation. Why deny your fellow students the chance to bid, keep the accommodation you already have, and still go ahead to bid and sell?” he said.

‎         In addition, the university announced plans to publish details of students involved in hostel racketeering. With government approval, it also intends to enter a private partnership to construct new hostels, providing over 7,000 bed spaces to be commissioned and delivered within 24 months. It was gathered that one of the official female hostels (Honors), with a capacity of 511 bed spaces, is currently unavailable to students due to ongoing renovations.

‎          Having experienced a similar situation in the previous academic session, many UNILAG students are again facing hostel challenges in the current session. Contributing factors include the late registration of freshers, unexplained administrative gaps in some departments, and the misconduct of racketeers and their agents. In some cases, racketeers sell a bed space for between N240,000 and N300,000, while a squatting space can cost as much as N180,000.

‎           At the beginning of the session, most freshers (100 Level and Direct Entry), due to their late registration, were forced to attend lectures from home, with some spending over N5,000 daily on transportation. In the Department of Quantity Surveying, most 200 Level students were unable to participate in the first hostel balloting for students from 200 to 500 levels.

‎           It was reported that this was due to the alleged non-registration of their courses. Amid the crisis, UNILAG management announced another balloting opportunity for students who missed out on accommodation during the previous exercise.

‎          According to an official news bulletin obtained on January 5, 2026, the DSA office disclosed that applications for temporary hostel accommodation for the 2025/2026 academic session would open on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.

‎The bulletin stated in part:

   Eligibility Criteria: 200 to 500 Level students who have completed course registration for the 1st Semester of the 2025/2026 academic session, and are within the regular duration for their respective
programmes, are eligible to apply for bed spaces.

‎Application Process: Eligible students must apply online for temporary hostel accommodation during the designated application window, beginning at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.

‎Allocation Criteria: After the application window closes, temporary bed spaces will be allocated randomly among all eligible applicants.

‎The bulletin added that applications will close once the limited temporary bed spaces are filled, and notifications to shortlisted applicants will be sent on January 7, 2026. The payment deadline is January 9, 2026, and movement into the Hall of Residence will commence on January 13, 2026.

‎To address the extreme scarcity of hostel accommodation and its impact on students, the university has introduced a temporary arrangement known as Temporary Hostel Accommodation (Squatting). While acknowledging that the measure is not a permanent solution, the school emphasized that it is intended to assist students facing daily commuting challenges.

‎The bulletin clarified that allocation of temporary accommodation is the sole responsibility of the Student Affairs Division and that bona fide bed space holders are not to assign their spaces to another student.

‎Eligible students are required to submit a duly signed and stamped biodata form, proof of full payment of all school dues, and a copy of their course registration form for the current session. The bulletin reminded applicants that temporary accommodation is a privilege granted under exceptional circumstances, not a right.

Lagos to Begin BECE Registration

             
The Lagos State Government has announced the commencement of the 2026 e-registration and payment process for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in schools across the state. The exercise, coordinated by the Lagos State Examinations Board, will run from Monday, January 26, to Friday, March 27, 2026, and is aimed at promoting a seamless, technology-driven registration process that enhances transparency, efficiency, and accountability.

              The Lagos State government disclose the  statement and published on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday. The statement implies that the initiative aligns with the State’s policy of leveraging technology to eliminate physical contact between school owners and the examination board while improving service delivery.

                Speaking about the registration process, the Registrar of the Lagos State Examinations Board, Adebayo Orunsolu, said that schools are required to use the newly issued School Code for registration. He explained that public junior secondary schools should download the Offline Data Capturing Application from the board’s website at bece.examsboard.lagosstate.gov.ng. He also added that approved private secondary schools, institutions operating with special permission, and continuing education centers should access the board’s portal via pay.examsboard.com.ng to complete payment, registration, and set up general login credentials.

                 He stated that approved private junior secondary schools and approved public continuing education centers will pay a registration fee of ₦10,000 per candidate, while junior secondary schools with special permission and private continuing education centers will pay ₦15,000 per candidate.

                  The Registrar further urged schools with candidates who have special needs, such as visual impairments or albinism, to inform the Examinations Board in writing before the examination to allow for proper preparations. He added a warning that late registration may attract penalties and noted that further details would be communicated to schools through their respective zonal officers

Tutor-General urges Principal to Improve Academic Standard, Safety

            Mr. Omotayo Layemo Sanni, the Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary (TG/PS) of Education District II, held a strategic meeting with principals of public secondary schools across the district. In his statement, the TG/PS stated that the meeting became imperative in order to raise the academic performance of the district, most especially in external examinations. While commending principals for their previous achievements, he encouraged them to raise the bar and improve on existing result. 

            Mr. Sanni reinforced the value of stakeholder engagement in school administration, nothing than effective bond with parents, alumni, community leaders, and other stakeholders remains key to achieving optimal academic outcomes. Pertaining the issue of school security, the TG/PS expressed concern over the rising level of insecurity in schools and informed the principals that the government would be recruiting security personnel for schools.

 However, he advised principals to actively involve community leaders in recommending trustworthy, reliable, and responsible candidates for engagement as security operatives. He further extols them on performances at different competitions both within the state and Nationality while urging them to continue to encourage the students in various extra-curricular activities for an all-round development of the students. Deliberations during the meeting largely focused on strategies for achieving outstanding results in WAEC and BECE examinations. Some Principals whose schools recorded exceptional performance in the last WAEC were invited to share best practice

           The notably principal of Civil Service Junior Model College, Ikorodu, Mrs. Bolanle Esho, spoke extensively on the significance of mentorship, cultivating a strong reading culture, and adopting the "teach-your-topic" approach among students. Similarly, Mrs. Yemisi Arogbodo, Principal of Aiyedere Ajibola Senior High School highlighted the need to effectively manage and promote only the promotable students as a strategic tool for improving academic performance. Other issues discussed included school security, effective administration, and general school management practices.

       The Director of Administration and Human Resources, Mrs. Mojisola Adeyemi-Fashola, was also on the ground to clarify certain administrative issues in schools, including the Staff Performance Appraisal and Development (SPADEV) and other data required by various government agencies. Furthermore, representatives of insurance brokers assigned to schools by the State Government were present at the meeting.

       They briefed principals on proper engagement with insurance brokers, as well as procedures and best practices for handling matters relating to the insurance of personnel and government property within schools. The meeting concluded with principals expressing renewed commitment to work collaboratively towards excellence in academics, safety, and overall school administration across Education District II.

Bayelsa Engages Media in Education Funding

 

Amid growing public concern over education funding and accountability, the Bayelsa State Educational Trust Fund (EDTF) has moved to strengthen transparency by engaging the media as a critical bridge between the board and the public. 

This commitment was expressed when the chairman of the EDTF, High Chief Fidelis Agbiki, led the executive secretary, Prof. Ebimieowei Etebu and other members of the board on a courtesy visit to the Federated Correspondents' Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Bayelsa State.

Agbiki explained that the visit was aimed at deepening public understanding of the Fund's mandate, stressing that journalists play a vital role in educating citizens on how education funds are managed and deployed.

He noted that the current board, inaugurated in October last year, considered it necessary to formally introduce itself to the press and reaffirm its readiness to work closely with journalists in the interest of the education sector.

According to him, a strong relationship with the media would not only promote awareness of EDTF programmes but also help build public trust, adding that openness and regular engagement remain key priorities of the board.

In his remarks, the executive secretary, Prof. Ebimieowei Etebu, described education as the backbone of any society, warning that neglecting young people could create long-term social and economic challenges.

He said his acceptance of the role was driven by a lifelong commitment to youth development, adding that a well-educated population is essential for sustainable growth and stability in Bayelsa State.

Prof. Etebu therefore appealed to the media to report the activities of the EDTF in a manner that promotes unity, development and shared responsibility for the future of education.

Responding, the chairman of the Federated Correspondents' Chapel, Mr Tife Owolabi, welcomed the board and commended its openness, urging continuous access to information to enable accurate reporting and public accountability.

By Okem Mbah, Leadership Newspaper

Festivity, Fun, Fantasy come alive at Dansol Charity Fun Fair

Tofunmi Akinwale, an IT student with school connect magazine from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism [NIJ], Ogba, Lagos witnessed the glamorous and fun-filled Dansol Charity Fun Fair on the eleventh of December 2025. It was the first time seeing charity being demonstrated by students with a lot of lessons to take home. Here is his account of the event.

Charity as we know it, has been a symbol of hope, and an aspect of reality that brings together people of different race, ethnicity and different age groups. It is quite a remarkable blend of community engagement, social interaction, festivity and fantasy.

On the eleventh of December, Dansol High School students took it upon themselves to support in any way they can through the auspicious Dansol Charity Fun Fair. 

The event came alive with excitement and large turn-out of students, parents and fun-lovers at the school’s premises located at Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos thus making the event colorful.

At eight in the morning, the event had started. The whole place is agog with sound of music (you could hear the speaking blaring from a distance), baloon  decorations and of course the students dressed in gorgeous outfits to kill thr day. Well, since this event only comes alive once in a year, you could imagjne the fever, the frency and the vibes it would be greeted with. I think students of Dansol even value this event than their valedictory service (VS) with the happiness and excitements on their faces.

If you think that the Dansol Charity Fun Fair 

is all about charity, then you are mistaken. At the event, you can see activities like games (both indoors and outdoors games) to keep the fun up and running. If you are foodie, then, I bet you have a lot of funs coming to this event. All kinds of foods from fast food to solid and snacks were on display at various food stalls with some side attractions. You will be tempted to buy some food even if you don’t have a long throat. They are so irrestitible. The aromas from one of the stalls nearly made me to forgot the note I was about to jot. The surprise is that this foods are prepared by students themselves. If you ask me what education beyond the four walls of the classroom is, what I saw at this event is a testament to that! Beyond the fun, fantasy and excitement, the heart of the event lay on its mission. The Charity Fun Fair serves as a reminder that giving does not have be solemn, sordid or eloborate it can be joyful, colourful and addictive.

The morning goes by with the smell of fun as the prestigious occasion keeps the human mind happy major highlight of the charity fun fair was the food drive, where clothes, food items, and other basic necessities were distributed to members of the neighbouring community. The initiative attracted a large turnout, as residents expressed joy and appreciation for the gesture. Many of the beneficiaries praised and appreciated the school and their students for their generosity and concern for the well-being of others. The whole atmosphere was painted with gratitude, as smiles became the trademark in this annal occasion. The warm interactions reflected this event is a signature of the positive impact of the event on the community.

The event moved on as the students paraded to the center of the Charity Fair both the junior students and the Senior students with joyful emotions as each student moved around with his or her friend in groups. They move from one stall to the another purchasing items and food available.

After conducting several interviews to ask the students about the event and how high their level of fun and excitement were, Aliena Ibechi, said, "Today's event is called the Charity Fun Fair, and it is a day where we come and show what we can create whether food or bracelets - things like fruit juice, earrings, toys and snacks. That, we also sell it to ourselves and there is also a food drive and charity at the beginning of the program".

Speaking with another student, Mosunmola Adetunji, said, "Well today we are having what we call here in Dansol a Charity Fun Fair, and it basically giving out to charity and also having fun amongst ourselves and with those outside the school. We also do food drive which we did this morning, and we gave different items like foodstuff, bags, shoes to the less-privileged in Agidingbi area.

The event continues as parents, grandparents with teaching and non-teaching staff glazed in admiration of the students' activities as the senior students move from one end of the food stalls to the jewelry point most especially the female students. A junior student ran to her parents for more money with excitement to purchase more candies eager for more fun.

As the Charity Fun Fair comes to a very memorable end, it was more than just a day of games and entertainment, I learnt an important lesson on charity from this ‘beautiful angels’ and that is the role of supporting education and fostering community spirit with enthusiastic participation. The event successfully combined fun with meaningful impact as students bond with one another. This proves even a simple fun fair can make a lasting difference. I can’t just wait to witness another, Charity Fun Fair.

The Human Brain, powerful than AI – Smeirat

The human brain has been described to be more powerful than the Artificial Intelligence (AI) as AI can only diagnose disease or an ailment, but can’t cure it. This assertion has been expressed by Engineer Sami Smeirat, the Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship in Jordan during the UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy week in Jordan.

He made this assertion during a panelist session on the theme: “Media and Information Literacy in the age of AI-Generated Information. During this session, an AI was brought which answered questions intelligently from both the participants and the panelists. According to him, “AI can only have psychological human behaviour not genetics because each of the human system has a unique genetic structure. The human brain is better than Ai because God has given us out of His divine wisdom. That is why we can only say AI is just a blessing and not a curse.”

Mrs. Francesca Ciriaci, the moderator of the session said that the AI (Robot) who reasoned intelligently and responded to questions during the session hasn’t been pre-programmed to abuser the questions as it was all the innovation of AI.

The aim of the session was to imbue participants with the power of AI in the area of media and information literacy in this digital age.

Although Artificial Intelligence (AI) males things easier, information accession and our world less-stressful, yet one shouldn’t fully rely on the AI for everything because it has its limitations.

Over-reliance in the AI would make the students lazy, won’t give room for creativity, innovation and personal development since this device is always with them to help us do their work and sometimes unravel complexity.

For example, a device like Chat GPT is good device it would help students with assignments, essay writing and projects in the matter of minutes. It could also help students generate idea on any subject matter, but won’t help them to think on their own and develop their own thinking faculty because they have the AI to rely on.

“As good as this devices are” Engineer Smeirat still believes that “the most inalienable and indispensable resource that has been given to us is still the human brain as it is far more better than the computer or AI.’

“While the AI can do a lot of tasks at the split of a second, no human invention or scientific innovation can outwit the human brain or compare with it.”

During the UNESCO Hackathon, two students, Danish and Mohsen presented the ‘Mahw’ to the participants and how it works. The Mahw us an app developed these students out of curiousity in order to combat fake news, hate speech, dis/misinformation in their region and has been tested and proven effective to check the verac

UNESCO to train Bloggers, Content-creators, Journalists on Media and Information Literacy

 

Media and information literacy are not only critical for information dissemination, informed society but also for peaceful co-existence in order to build democratic ethos and also enjoying the dividends of democracy.

A recent survey on Google by Lynn and Becker put Nigeria at 67.76 percent ahead of Cameroon, Somalia, Morocco, Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Belize, Mauritius, Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nepal, Guatemala, Cape Verde, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nicaragua and Nepal. Nepal was at the lowest rung of the ladder in terms of intelligence quotient (I.Q).

Leveraging on the Intelligence Quotient (I.Q) of Nigerians as it relates to using the social media for information literacy, UNESCO has said it would soon train bloggers, social media influences, content-creators in order to help them to do their jobs on the Internet for a more informed society. 

This idea was mooted at the Global Media Literacy and Information Conference organised by UNESCO in Amman, Jordan under the parsonage of His Excellency, King Abdullahi II Ibn Hussein, the king of Jordan who played host to the Global Media and Information Literacy conference in the region.

On why this group should be trained to inform their online audience and the general public, Prof. Deena Abi Thiab, Head of Jordan Programme Office, UN-Habitat says, “There is still much to learn from content-creators, bloggers, social media influences in the area of media and information literacy as we can’t afford to throw away the baby with the bath-water. They should be seen as critical catalyst toward achieving the goal of information dissemination on the media space.”

“What i think we should rather do is to equip and train them so that they can be well-equipped to do their job and also to better inform their audience.”

This view is not different from what Dir. Sunday Baba, the representative of the Honouranle Minister of Information and National Orientation (NOA) at the UNESCO conference, “we need to equip content-creators, and those who are posting stuffs on the social-minded with skills so that they are better-equipped to do their job and make them custodian of the right information for a well-informed society.”

He opened that by giving them the needed skills, hate-speech, dis/misinformation, fake news would reduce drastically and the narrative would change to enhance our democratic values.

Speaking further, he said, since most Nigerian youths are adept in social media skills and are always online posting one thing or the other, the onus lies on us to train them to become better in their roles of informing the public.”

On what really gave rise to the proliferation of dis/misinformation on the social media by content-creators and others, Dir. Farouk Osmar, Secretary-General, National Union of Journalists, Somalia, spilled the beans by saying “Content-creators are dominating the media by the day while traditional media are lagging behind in their role of information dissemination and awareness.”

This he noted has given rise to some overnight journalists and emergency reporters who misinform and mislead the public through their posts. He also said that since the journalist who should be at the forefront of informing, educating the public are slacking in their responsibility, they are in turn giving a leeway for those who are not in the mainstream media to take over.

Still on this, Mrs. Nesrine Slapui, a journalist, writer and filmmaker in Morocco and France explains that the role of Journalists or the media is to “inform the people on how to inform themselves and to ensure the transparency of information. She opened that “it is about checking news to inform the people’ and not the other way round as the content-creators, bloggers, social media influencers are doing.

On what the ethics of online reportage should be, she said, “fact-checking, critical-thinking, informed decision that won’t be counter-productive on their audience should be the ideal of news and information sharing.

Unlike the traditional media, content creators, social media influencers, bloggers are too much in a hurry to post their content without checking and verifying the source.

But during the MILWeek (Media and Information Literacy Week 2024) in Amman, Jordan, UNESCO announced that all these anomalies would soon be a thing of the past as efforts have bene put in place for effective media education and literacy so that people are not dis/misinformed and the veracity of what is posted online is properly checked before posting them.

In this regard, UNESCO has made available an online course, “The Authoritative Voice” and “Each one for another.”  The courses have been designed in partnership with the Knight Centre for Journalism, USA.

On the overall aim of this program, UNESCO said it is to “equip digital content creators with essential media and information literacy skills by identifying their strengths, weaknesses and needs. The course will also empower digital content creators and strengthen and help them in information sharing.”

On why these courses have been designed, UNESCO said “we have seen the need to design this course y to train content creators - bloggers, social media influencers and journalists because digital content creators significantly inference public opinions, trends and consumer behaviours.”

“Despite this, there is a lack of comprehensive research into their motivations, ethics and accountability. As the UN agency with the mandate of promoting freedom. of expression, access to information and mass media, information literacy, UNESCO aims to understand the dynamics of digital contents.”

According to UNESCO, “this initiative will lead to development of a comprehensive survey. By leading tips effort, UNESCO seeks to enhance content-creators and informed digital citizens.”

Apart from these courses, there are many other courses like: “Media Literacy: Fostering a Cognitive Emotional Approach,” “The Need for Media Literacy: A Comprehensive Learning Experiences” among others. All thse courses are available on the UNESCO website as an e-learning courses.”

“My experience as one-day Governor, eye-opening, gratifying, unforgettable” – Abdulrahmon, twentieth One-day Governor

 

Abdulazeez Abdulrahmon, the winner of the twentieth edition of the Spelling Bee Competition from Oriwu Senior Model College, Ikorodu who eventually became the One-day Governor, a continuum of the legacy of the former first lady of the state, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu has expressed profound gratitude for the honour given unto him by the state Governor, the executive and the legislature as the One-day Governor saying that “it is an eye-opening experience that would linger in his memory for a long time.”

The One-day Governor, Abdulazeez, who was received by the governor of the state, Sanwo-Olu and his wife, Dr. Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu during a courtesy visit the State House in Marina as part of his executive function as the one-day Governor, said it was indeed an honour taking up the mantle of leadership for just one-day and a rare opportunity performing the executive function.

He was accompanied by the One-day Deputy-Governor, Master Oki Sewanu, Coordinator of Answar Ud-Deen Senior Grammar School, Badagry and the One-day Secretary to the State Government, Miss Saheed Alimot-Odere of Jubilee Model Senior School, Coker, Aguda.

During the visit, Sanwo-Olu congratulated the students for their remarkable achievements noting that the Spelling Bee Competition has continually fostered confidence and vocabulary developments among participants.

At a subsequent reception at the Exco Chamber, Lagos House, Ikeja, Dr. Olufemi Hamzat, Deputy-Governor of the state who received the One-day Governor and his team members on behalf of the Governor urged the students to emulate past winners who have excelled in various fields of their endeavours.

He described both the present One-day Governor and the past winners of the Spelling Bee Competition as ‘shinning examples of the state’s commitment to nurturing future leaders.’

He advised the young leaders to stay omitted to positive change and be proud ambassadors of Lagos State. In his words, “you should be proud of being products if Lagos State and be determined to change any negative narratives about our country.”

In response to the request made by the One-day Governor for an ICT laboratory at his school, Oriwu Senior Model College, Sanwo-Olu assured him that the project would be carried out in no time as he has directed the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Alli-Balogun to begin to work on his request.

The First Lady, Dr. Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu alongside the wie of the Deputy-Governor, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat, encouraged the students to continue to pursue academic excellence assuring them that the government will maintain its commitment to creating a conducive learning environment across the state.

Dr. Sanwo-Olu also introduced the students to various initiatives lead b her office like the War Against Drug Abuse, Fight Against Sexual and Gender Based Violence, Lagos Boy Child Initiative and the School Support Initiative.

Mr. Olabode Agoro, the Lagos State Head of Service also commended the government’s investment in education as a means of securing the future of Lagos State.

He assured the students of opportunities within the public service saying that, “there is a reserved place for you within the Lagos State Public Service upon completion of your education.”

On his own part, Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education said that the official tour undertaken by the One-day Governor and his cabinet was aimed at providing valuable information that would be beneficial to their future careers.

The Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at the Quality Assurance (QEQA), Mr. Remi Abdul, lauded the sustained efforts to keep the One-day Governor initiative alive. He noted that the competition which saw Abdulrahmon emerge as the winner was keenly-contested across zonal and state levels thus serving as a morale booster for students.

Two Youths developed Apps to combat Fake news

“Misinformation is sixty percent to seventy percent than the real news.” This was the assertion made by His Excellency, Dr. Mohammad Al-Momani, the Minister of Government Communications and Government Spokesperson in Jordan at the ongoing UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2024 in Amman Jordan.

Dr. Mohammad Al-Momani who spoke extensively about the venomous effect of fake news to the teeming participants drawn from the United Staes of America, Armenia, Jordan, Ukraine, France, Sudan, Senegal UAE, Nigeria, Somalia and host of their countries which includes students, lecturers, academics, diplomats, thought-leaders, journalists, government representatives urged the participants to wage war against fake news.

In the bid to end fake news, two students Daniah Reaah and Mohseni Mohamati from Iraq and the United Arab Emirates have developed an application (App) called “Mahw” to tackle fake news.

While presenting their innovation to UNESCO participants during the Youths Hackathon, the duo said, “Mahw is a comprehensive solution for verifying fake news and quash dis/misinformation of any type on the digital space.”

Responding to questions during an interview with School Connect Magazine on what informed “Mahw” and how it works, Daniah Reaah who is a recent graduate of Computer Engineering said, “misleading information about my country, Iraq has made us to develop this App to combat fake news. Whenever I get news from anybody from another country about Iraq, I usually hear something like Iraq is in ruins or in shambles. I always feel pained on how the situation in my country is being exaggerated beyond proportion. Agreed, there is a war going on, but the situation is not as bad as it is being painted by those who are peddling it.”

“With this misleading information that I usually get, the idea to tackle fake news was birthed and that was how Mohseni and I came about, “Mahw”.

Oh how the App, “Mahw” works, Daniah said, it works with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and you just need to key in the location where you think the fake news is being spread and you will be able to get verification about that particular news.

Explaining further, she said “although Mahw doesn’t really work with algorithm or coding, but with artificial intelligence, yet the effect is really amazing in combating fake news. She said they just want to make it easy to use even if you are not tech-savy in computing or programming.

She also mentioned that “Mahw has been tested and the result is really effective in tackling fake and misinformation in her country, Iraq. Although Mahw has just newly been launched, she said that efforts are underway to make it accessible to everyone not only in Iraq, but also in the whole of the Arab regions.

The whizkids, Daniah and Mohsen were given a certificate of recognition for their ingenuity at the UNESCO MIL Week especially because it aligns with the theme of the conference.

‘Nigeria will include Media and Literacy Information into curriculum soon’ – Dr. Sunday Baba, NOA Rep

 

Dr. Sunday Baba, the representative of the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation Agency (NOA), Nigeria, Dr. Sunday Baba has said the Nigeria will soon introduce the Media and Information Literacy (MIL) into her curriculum any moment from now as efforts are in top gear.

Dr. Sunday said this during the UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week (MILWeek) in Amman, Jordan while responding to question directed to him about what Nigeria is doing about including the Media and Information Literacy into the school’s curriculum during a High Ministerial Panel at the conference.

He said, “We may not really have a formal policy on MIL as we speak, but a lot has been happening in Nigeria at the moment specially building initiatives towards achieving the MIL.”

Speaking further on the concerted efforts put together by his country towards including the MIL into the curriculum, Dr. Sunday said, “You will recall that in 2022, we held a Global Media Week in Nigeria and a lot of things came out of this after this programme.”

“We have been able to build a lot of initiatives using schools and the universities most especially. For instance, we had a symposium where we invited eight universities and they brought their students and we started teaching them on what is called, “Media and Information Literacy” and how this would be propagated all over Nigeria.

Speaking further on the MIL initiative, which advocacy started about two years ago, he said, “we are not doing this through teaching alone. We are using the community radio where everyone is given a voice to speak.”

On how to achieve this. He said, “we will invite market women, farmers, religious leaders, different communities to share ideas and speak out in order to build our democratic ethos so that it can stand very well.”

On how to solidify this and garner support for this programme, Dr. Sunday said, “We have initiated the MILAND that is the Media Literacy Supportive Institute. We have collaborated with media organizations to support this initiative.

In recent times, we have started building media vanguards in schools all over Nigeria where the ethics and ideals of media and information literacy are taught.

At this conference, the Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN)and er team are here with us. The National Open University of Nigeria would be saddled with the responsibility of fighting fake news and hate speech among peddlers especially young people who are always on the social media to post unverified news. 

Our team, the NOUN will be doing fact-checking on what is posted online so that Nigeria are not misinformed. This is to ensure that what is not true shouldn’t be posted. Another thing we want to do is to equip content-creators and those who are posting on social media with skills so that they ar well-equipped to do their job and are custodians of the right information and how to build a transparent democracy using the social media.

We are doing this because Nigerians use every opportunity to gather people like students, workers, lecturers, the educated and the illiterates together. So, we want to see how we can use he power of media education and orientation in this regard.

In terms of the MIL, we have done a lot of work and have put in a lot of efforts to make this work for our country Nigeria and it would be achieved very soon.

 

How to get full Funding to Study in USA - US Embassy

 

The United States Embassy through the US Education has advised students on how to make their dreams of studying in the United States of America (USA) realizable. The programme was organized for students of the Deeper Life High School Lagos Campus by the United States Education department in Lagos.

At the opening ceremony, Mr. Emmanuel Eze, the School Administrator of the Deeper Life High School Lagos Campus said “Deeper Life High School has produced outstanding students who have studied abroad and studying in different universities in Nigeria.”

Speaking further, Emmanuel Eze said, “in the last UTME, Umeh Precious performed excellently well in the year 2023 exam. This year, our students will score 390 and we are giving it back to back to ensure that our students top the grade.”

On his part, Mr. Ajala, the Principal of the Senior School (DLHS) commended the parents for believing in the school to give their children/wards unmitigated quality education with excellent academic performance.

While delivering a presentation on, “Five Steps to Studying Abroad in the US”, Mrs. Chinenye Uwadileke the head of the US Education team said, “considering an option to study in the United States of America I one of the best decisions that any student can ever made because I also took that decision over twenty years ago and I got a full scholarship to study in US.”

Speaking to the students’ participants and their parents on how to get scholarship to study in US, Chinyere said early application and meeting up with the scholarship criteria are some information that the applicants need to make start their studying abroad journey into the US.

She also revealed that the Education USA has funding opportunity for exceptionally brilliant students who wants to study in the States, but lack the financial capability to do so or are from indigent background. She said the Education USA Opportunity Fund Programme provides full funding and scholarship for anyone who wants to study in US especially for students who come from humble background.

According to her, students who fall into this category will get full funding from the United States government. The US government would be responsible for their visa application fee, flight ticket, feeding and other expenses. And upon graduation, that person will be able to apply to become citizen of the United States of America.

In order not to leave the students in doubt about the grey areas during her presentation especially about how to get full scholarship, funding and applying for visa, she provides further information on how to apply for visa through the US Embassy’s website.

During the Question & Answer session, a concerned parent asked what happens after a student who have completed his/her studies in the US with full funding. In response to this question, one of the team of the US Education responded by saying, “when a student gets a full funding to study in the US, he or she pays nothing back to the USA government after his or programme.”

The programme participants comprise students of the Deeper Life High School in the senior secondary category, their parents, invited guests and the US Education team. The Career programme is a regular feature of the school to expose their students to different career opportunities and help them to make the right decision in choosing the right career in their academic goals and pursuit. The Career programme usually presents them with what to study, where to study (Nigerian universities and foreign universities), how to study and when to study. During this robust career exposure, seasoned career experts and academics are usually invited from the academia, WAEC, JAMB and education agents representing different foreign universities abroad. The programme also provides counselling, question & answer and exhibition.

After the programme, the School Admin, Mr. Emmanuel Eze thanked the students, their parents, the US Education team who participated in the programme.

Summit deliberates on Shaping the Future of Education

“Any investment made into education is an investment into the future.” This was the view of Dr. Ambigali, pro-chancellor, Federal University of Technology Akure. (FUTA) during a two-day summit on “Shaping the Future of Global Education organized by the M-Square Media at the Marriott Hotel, Lagos recently.

The one-day summit brought together stakeholders in the education sector from the University of Port Harcourt, the Federal University of Technology Akure, American University, Abuja, Lagos, Kwara and some other parts of the country. 

During a panelist session at the summit, while discussing on how to solve problems in the tertiary education, Dr. Ambigail, the pro-chancellors of FUTA said, the universities of technology should see how they can synergize and collaborate in order to solve problems in the higher institution.

He was of the view that universities should have solution to their own problems and proffer solutions instead of setting up many private universities or establishing more technological universities, the existing ones could synergize and address some of the peculiar needs and problems they have and forge ahead.

On the area of getting partnership to meet some of the needs in the universities like funding, he said, the first thing is to identify the vision, mission and goals of such partnership. Adding that partnership would really work better when the partnership involved are there physically.

On his own part, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of PortHarcout, Prof. Georgewill said that UNIPORT is setting the pace for entrepreneurship in Nigeria as no student graduates from the university without being certified in entrepreneurship. He said that entrepreneurship is a compulsory course every student of the university must take before graduating. Elaborating further, the Prof said that entrepreneurship is different from skill acquisition. Saying that many young people are acquiring skills, but they are not entrepreneurs.

During his paper presentation, the Second Secretary on Trade at the Canadian High Commission Dindembolo-Zaya Kayena, Lagos said he agreed that the number of visa refusal had been high of late and he attributed this to a number of factors like: Ingenuine intention of migration, poor statement of purpose, insufficient funds and some other reasons.

During his speech he noted that many Nigerians under to guise of wanting to study just want to “Japa” and in this regard the Canadian High Commission is tightening its noose to “Japada” (repatriate) some of them who do not meet the migration demands regarding study visa. Dindembolo also said as an African envoy, Canada has been having bilateral relationship with Nigeria and they still want to maintain that relationship.

Talking on the area of quality education, teachers’ quality and the skills demand for the twenty-first century, Dr. Soyombo, the Special Adviser on Education, Kwara State said that to meet the global competitiveness in today’s world, critical thinking, innovation and enquiry-based methodology and accuracy are critical catalyst.

The Eduverse summit is a platform where regional and global challenges in the higher education sector are brought to the front-burner where stakeholders discuss this issue and proffer solutions.   

Drug abuse, Youth’s sanity and the Future of Nigerian Youths

 Editor/s Note

Drug abuse, Youth’s sanity and the Future of Nigerian Youths

“They get drunk and high on a regular basis, but this is a vestige of youths that you either quit while you are young, or you become an addict if you don’t die. If you are the Old Guy in the Punk House, move out. You have a substance about problem”-Bucky Sinister

The issue of drug/substance abuse among Nigerian Youths are becoming alarming. It is not uncommon to find teens from the age of twelve years or even younger taking Indian hemp, marijuana, cannabis and some other illicit drugs which are hazardous to their health and would truncate the future.

My reason for worry or concern is that drug abuse is no longer taken in the hidings anymore, but even in the open.

Despite the traumatic effects that this is having on young people, it appears that the government is not really doing anything about this while many of our youths are becoming insane, dying untimely, causing/unleashing havoc in the society and public places, and constituting nuisance to their parents and a menace to the society.

I expect that there should be serious policy on this, and the senate should come up with bills that would nip this harmful behaviour among youths in the bud. It is very alarming that about 40%millon Nigerians are in drugs according to a report by the NDLEA in August 2021 as published by Premium Times.

Additionally, a report said that there are over 11 million cannabis users in Nigeria. The number of these young people incarcerated or in remand homes as a result of drug abuse is quite alarming.

Globally, it was estimated that “275 million people abuse drugs worldwide.” This was according to the report released last year by the United Nations Office on Drugs (UNDOC).

Nigerian youths are victims to illicit, harmful and dangerous drugs like cannabis, tobacco, glue, heroic energy drinks, miraa, tramadol, colorado, tranquillizers, ant, amphetamine, diazepam, codeine, shisha, cocaine, methamphetamine and host of others which are gory to mention.

When young people abuse drugs (boys and girls), they do that willing-nilly without considering the side effects (some of them don’t even know that). Drug abuse is often fuelled by peer influence, imitating role models; lifestyles from what they watch in movies and what they see outside.

For every addition, there is a resultant-effect. Some of the short-term effects of drugs abuse could be: happiness and confidence, talking more, feeling energetic and alert, feeling physically strong and mentally sharp, reduced appetite, dry mouth, faster heartbeat, increased sex drive, unpredictable behaviour, violent or aggressive behaviour, delusions (over-inflated sense of worth, power, knowledge or identity), anxiety, paranoia (feeling extremely suspicious of others), psychosis (seeing or hearing things that do not exist or distorted).

The long-term effect of drugs are sadness, irregular periods (difficulty having children among females), no sex drive (in males), constipation, damaged heart, lungs, liver and brain, vein damage and skin, heart and lungs infections from injecting (i.e. HIV and Hepatitis C), needing to use more to get same effect (develop tolerance), dependency among others.

My main concern in this article is the future of the Nigeria youths. ‘Youths’ have been described as the future of any nation. But what happens if the plethora or mass armies that would have been the engine room for development, economic revival, scientific advancement, medical research, and national orientation are drug addicts and as a result are mentally unbalanced to stir the wheel of the nation? This is where my worry is as many youths are having field day because they are enjoying their hobbies of drugs. I surmise that the future of this country is really at stake. It is even disheartening to note that many of them are dropping out from school to concentrate on their new engagement drug abuse. These youths are recalcitrant to corrections as their parents can’t even tame them. They don’t care about their future, but only how to take drugs. Education isn’t their priority. I have also found out that ‘yahoo-yahoo’ and singing go along with drugs.

We are losing many of our youths to illicit drugs and substance abuse. Sometime last year, the New African Shrine around Agidingbi wrote it boldly on their walls that “Drugs abuse is the dangerous”. This is to deter young people on the effects of drugs as many of them have been vagabonds, vagrants, miscreants and never-do-well.

There is the need to declare a state of emergency of drug abuse even as this ugly trend becomes a norm and part of our national lives. The radio station, TV, newspaper, magazine, NDLEA, National Orientations, Ministry of Youths Development, UN, UNICEF, UNESCO, UNODC, NGOs working and other with youths on drug abuse and other government parastatals should take the gauntlet by designing programmes that would salvage the youths from jeopardy in the future.

As I conclude this piece, Danny Trejo, author of My Life of Crime, Redemption and Hollywood have this ten pence to lend to addicts. “Drinking and drugs might temporarily bring some relief, but there is a problem in life that drugs and alcohol make worse-whether the issue is financial, emotional or legal. If you are reading this and find yourself struggling, ask God to take the burden of your shoulders, reach out for help, and stop digging a deeper hole for yourself. There is a community of millions of men and women who have similar circumstances and will be there for you, stranger or not, because their own recovery depends on helping people like you.”

 Olugbenga Adebiyi

Editor, School Connect Magazine

c

WAEC Withholds Results of Over 200,000 Candidates, Records 79.81% Pass

by By Mariam Ileyemi

The WAEC boss, Patrick Areghan, said candidates are no longer ready to study, noting that they lack self-confidence "and preparations for examinations are poor."

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), on Monday, announced the release of the results for the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for school candidates.

The examination body said out of a total of 1,613,733 candidates that sat the examination, the results of 262,803 candidates are being withheld "due to reports of cases of examination malpractice."

The Head of Nigeria's Office (HNO) of WAEC, Patrick Areghan, who made the announcement in Lagos, also hinted at his exit from the examination body as he is set to retire in a few weeks.

Meanwhile, Mr Areghan announced an improvement in pass rate by candidates as a total of 1,361,608 candidates, representing 84.38 per cent, obtained credit and above in a minimum of five subjects with or without English Language or Mathematics.

Also, 1,287,920 candidates, representing 79.81 per cent of the total candidates, obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects including English Language and Mathematics.

In 2022, 76.36 per cent of the 1,601,047 candidates that sat the examination, obtained credits and above in a minimum of five subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.

The release of the 2023 results would offer a ray of hope for candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions.

Some of the admission seekers who sat the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) did not provide the required SSCE results in their application forms but declared they were awaiting their results.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) conducted UTME for admission seekers nationwide in May, and many tertiary institutions have since commenced admission processes.

Breakdown

Giving a further breakdown of the 2023 examination, Mr Areghan said out of the candidates that sat the examination in Nigeria, only the results of 1,476,565 candidates, representing 91.5 per cent have been fully processed and released while 137,168 candidates, representing 8.5 per cent have a few of their subjects still being processed.

He explained that the delay is due to some "shortcomings, nonchalant, lethargy, incomplete CASS upload, disobedience of rubrics, etc associated with the schools and candidates concerned."

Of the 1,613,733 candidates that sat the examination, Mr Areghan noted that 794,280 were males while 819,453 were females, representing 49.22 per cent and 50.78 per cent respectively.

He added that 70,794 of the candidates were with varying degrees of special needs: 109 were visually impaired, 386 had impaired hearing, 33 were spastic cum mentally challenged and 34 were physically challenged.

"All these candidates were adequately provided for the administration of the examination. The results of these candidates have been processed and are also now being released along with those of other candidates," he added.

Cashless policy, other challenges

During the conduct of the 2023 WASSCE, Mr Areghan said the council was faced with financial constraints "orchestrated by the cashless policy and the hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), as a result of fuel subsidy removal."

He noted that disruptions were experienced in some parts of the South-east due to the enforcement of a sit-at-home order by the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and also some insecurity concerns in parts of the North-west.

Mr Areghan also recounted how the council lost a vehicle and its contents to an armed robbery attack at Okigwe, on the road to Enugu on 4 June 2023.

"The armed robbers took away our vehicle and the contents, but to the glory of God, no one was harmed. The vehicle was found after two days, with all the contents intact," he said.

"However, we had already reprinted the codes involved at an extra cost that was not budgeted for. This incident disrupted our logistics and scheduled operations."

Examination Malpractice

On examination malpractice, Mr Areghan said the figure of 262,803 withheld results, representing 16.29 per cent of the total number of candidates that sat the examination in 2023, is lower than the 22.83 per cent recorded in 2022.

"The reasons for this are not far-fetched. Candidates are no longer ready to study, they lack self-confidence and preparations for examinations are poor," he said "There is over-reliance on the so-called 'expo', which is non-existent."

He reiterated that the council will continue to sanction all cases of examination malpractice while noting that all the reported cases of "organised cheating" are being investigated.

Access to Digital Certificates

Mr Areghan further noted that the results of candidates who sat the 2023 WASSCE are being uploaded on the results website and that the candidates can access their digital certificate simultaneously.

He said: "The digital certificates of candidates who sat the WASSCE for school candidates 2023, and who have no pending issues, by way of unresolved queries or hanging cases of examination malpractice, are ready on the digital certificate platform.

"Printing of the physical (hard copy) certificates will commence 90 days from today. This is an innovation that will make admission processes seamless and with a high level of mobility."

He added that the result checker PIN and serial number required by candidates to check their results online are on the candidate's smart identity card used during the examination.

Highlighting the achievements recorded in WAEC under his stewardship as the HNO of WAEC, Mr. Areghan said apart from the digital certificate, the council launched Educational Statistics (EDUSTAT) platform that enables stakeholders to access statistics online.

The council also established a functional WAEC Nigeria Digital Printing Press (WNDPP) after 71 years of existence, and other digital platforms.

Culled from Premium Times

Education, Infant mortality, Poverty worsened in Zamfara Under Matawalle

Governor Matawalle promised to tackle unemployment and poverty as well as revamp the education and health sectors by By Mohammed Babangida.

Bello Matawalle, the outgoing governor of Zamfara State, was lucky to become governor in the first place. The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 governorship poll, he did not become governor because he won the majority of the votes cast in the election. He was made governor after the Supreme Court ruled that the All-Progressives Congress (APC), which polled the majority of votes, did not conduct primaries for the election of its candidates in Zamfara State as a result of the in-fighting in the party at the time. The court voided all the APC votes and ordered that the candidates of the parties with the next highest votes should be declared the winners of the elections.

But Mr Matawalle could only manage to stay in power for one term. After defecting from the PDP, he faced the 2023 election as the APC candidate but was defeated in the 18 March governorship election by the PDP candidate, Dauda Lawal.

During the campaign before the 2019 election, Mr Matawalle promised to fight unemployment and poverty and revamp the education and health sectors.

Poverty rate, internal revenue and debt management

Mr Matawalle spoke passionately about fighting poverty during his campaign, which he said was spurred by insecurity in the state. In 2019 when he was sworn in, Zamfara State was worse than the national average "poverty headcount rate" as 73.98 per cent of the state's population was considered poor while the national average was 40.1 per cent. The state had a higher percentage of poor people than Sokoto, Taraba, Jigawa, Ebonyi and Adamawa states, according to a report by the Statista.

The multidimensional poverty index released in November 2022 stated that 78 per cent of Zamfara people are poor, meaning poverty worsened under Mr Matawalle, from 74 to 78 per cent.

Mr Matawalle also performed poorly in debt management In 2019, data showed the state had a combined domestic and external debt of N103.35 billion. The debt rose to N130.1 billion in 2020 and N130.94 billion in 2021. The state currently has the second-highest debt in the North-west region and occupies the 15th out of the 36 states of the federation.

However, from 2019 to 2021, the state witnessed an increase in its internal revenue generation (IGR), In 2018, it generated N8.21 billion, while in 2019 when Mr Matawalle took over, the state generated N15.42 billion. By 2021, the last year the data was provided, Mr Matawalle's administration had increased the internal revenue to N18.50 billion, according to NBS data.

The multidimensional poverty index released in November 2022 stated that 78 per cent of Zamfara people are poor, meaning poverty worsened under Mr Matawalle, from 74 to 78 per cent.

Mr Matawalle also performed poorly in debt management In 2019, data showed the state had a combined domestic and external debt of N103.35 billion. The debt rose to N130.1 billion in 2020 and N130.94 billion in 2021. The state currently has the second-highest debt in the North-west region and occupies the 15th out of the 36 states of the federation.

However, from 2019 to 2021, the state witnessed an increase in its internal revenue generation (IGR), In 2018, it generated N8.21 billion, while in 2019 when Mr Matawalle took over, the state generated N15.42 billion. By 2021, the last year the data was provided, Mr Matawalle's administration had increased the internal revenue to N18.50 billion, according to NBS data.

In 2021, the state chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Mannir Bature, lamented the concentration of health workers in the state capital as well as the general decay of hospitals in the state.

"The level of decay is disheartening. Only the General Hospital in Gusau has the facilities required for a decent health facility. In the remaining

13 local government areas, General Hospitals don't even have facilities for neonatal care..... 78% of the human resources in the health sector is

concentrated in Gusau, leaving just 22% to be shared amongst the remaining 13 local government areas," he said

Mr Matawalle also performed poorly in tackling infant and maternal mortalities in the state. In 2018, months before he took over, the child mortality rate stood at 130 deaths per 1,000 live births. The national average is 62 deaths. The rate increased to 136 deaths per 1,000 births in 2021, according to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey of the NBS.

Despite most of the development indices getting worse during his tenure, some residents of the state believe Mr Matawalle stole billions of naira meant to develop the state, a matter currently being investigated by the anti-graft agency, EFCC, although the governor has denied any wrongdoing.

                                                               - Culled from Premium Times

UNESCO unveils new AI roadmap for classrooms - UN News

 UNESCO unveils new AI roadmap for classrooms - UN News

The UN convened the first ever global meeting with education ministers from around the world to explore risks and rewards of using chatbots in classrooms, announcing on Friday a new roadmap to chart a safer digital path for all.

Less than 10 per cent of schools and universities follow formal guidance on using wildly popular artificial intelligence (AI) tools, like the chatbot software ChatGPT, according to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which hosted more than 40 ministers at an groundbreaking online meeting on Thursday.

The ministers exchanged policy approaches and plans while considering the agency’s new roadmap on education and generative AI, which can create data and content based on existing algorithms, but can also make alarming factual errors, just like humans.

“Generative AI opens new horizons and challenges for education, but we urgently need to take action to ensure that new AI technologies are integrated into education on our terms,” said Stefania Giannini, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education. “It is our duty to prioritize safety, inclusion, diversity, transparency and quality.”

Institutions are facing myriad challenges in crafting an immediate response to the sudden emergence of these powerful AI apps, according to a new UNESCO survey of more than 450 schools and universities.

Rapidly Evolving Landscape

At the same time, governments worldwide are in the process of shaping appropriate policy responses in a rapidly evolving education landscape, while further developing or refining national strategies on AI, data protection, and other regulatory frameworks, according to UNESCO.

However, they are proceeding with caution. Risks to using these tools can see students exposed to false or biased information, some ministers said at the global meeting.

The debate revealed other common concerns, including how to mitigate the chatbots’ inherent flaws of producing glaring errors. Ministers also addressed how best to integrate these tools into curricula, teaching methods, and exams, and adapting education systems to the disruptions which generative AI is quickly causing.

Many highlighted the vital role teachers play in this new era as learning facilitators.

But, teachers need guidance and training to meet these challenges, according to UNESCO.

Adding to Existing Frameworks

Teachers need guidance and training to meet these challenges. — UNESCO

For its part, the agency will continue to steer the global dialogue with policy makers, partners, academia, and civil society, in line with its paper, AI and education: A guide for policy-makers and Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, as well as the Beijing Consensus on Artificial Intelligence and Education.

UNESCO is also developing policy guidelines on the use of generative AI in education and research, as well as frameworks of AI competencies for students and teachers for classrooms.

These new tools will be launched during Digital Learning Week, to be held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 4 to 7 September, the agency said.