Kwara gov’t officials assess impact of KwaraLEARN on public schools

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin

Authorities of the Kwara State Leading Education Achievement and Reform Now (KwaraLEARN) on Tuesday conducted a school visit with top government officials in the state to assess the impact of the programme on teachers, pupils, and learning outcomes in public schools.

Tagged ‘KwaraLEARN Schools Visit,’ the monitoring exercise was led by the Managing Director of KwaraLEARN, Mrs. Laide Abel, and assisted by the Director of Schools, Mr. Segun Sanusi, among other departmental heads.

The government’s team, headed by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Prince AbdulKadir Mahe, included the Chairman of the Kwara House of Assembly Committee on Education, Hon. Muhammed Solihu Baba; the Commissioner of Education and Human Capital Development, Hajia Sa’adatu Moddibo Kawu; the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye; the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs. Rebecca Bake Olarewaju; Senior Special Assistant on Communication, Ibrahim Abdullateef; and Director of Quality Assurance for Kwara SUBEB, Alhaji Idiagbon Adebimpe.

Among the schools visited were Bishop Smith LGEA Primary School and Ansar-ud-deen LGEA Primary School, both in Ilorin, the state capital.

The education stakeholders observed teachers conducting their classes in different subjects and asked questions to both teachers and pupils to assess their progress and the impact of the programme.

Prince Mahe stated that the investments of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq in basic education are yielding positive results. He recalled how pupils from public basic schools made the state proud by winning awards at various national and international competitions, which he said reflects the Governor’s prioritization of the education sector.

“The Governor places much emphasis on education, and we have seen the results recently when our students excelled both at national and international competitions,” the Chief of Staff told reporters during the visit.

“This success is due to His Excellency’s encouragement of teachers, and they are reciprocating. We are seeing better results, and by God’s grace, it will continue to improve for the state.”

Boriya, for his part, said the introduction of KwaraLEARN marks a clear departure from the past and has brought significant advancements to the education sector in the state.

“For those of us familiar with the previous system, what we have seen here is a remarkable improvement in the education sector. KwaraLEARN is a noble programme, and the work being done is evident,” he said.

“There is noticeable improvement among both teachers and pupils. Teachers are engaged, students are engaged, and we expect continued improvement in their performance.”

The lawmaker urged parents and guardians to ensure their children and wards attend school from the first day of resumption to avoid missing important lessons.

“The current system begins lessons on the first day of resumption. We encourage our parents to ensure their children and wards are present from day one,” he said.

Moddibo, in her remarks, said KwaraLEARN is a data-driven initiative that has effectively curbed absenteeism and lateness, noting that both teachers and pupils are easily monitored through technology.

“Honestly, a lot has changed. KwaraLEARN is data-driven, and from our offices, we can monitor when pupils or teachers are absent from school. Teacher absenteeism has reduced significantly,” she said.

MD KwaraLEARN, Laide Abel, mentioned that they are working hard to prevent time wastage in the school calendar, ensuring that teaching starts on the first day of resumption.

She thanked the Governor for embracing the programme, which she said has continued to transform the lives of children in the state.

“Since we began this programme, we have ensured that teaching starts on the first day because the children have a lot to learn, and we do not want to waste any time,” she said.

“The first thing I always do is thank His Excellency, the Governor of Kwara State, for this initiative. Through this programme, we have transformed the lives of two hundred thousand children since its inception.”