Enugu state Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, Friday, 30Th August, laid the foundation stone for the construction of Center for Experiential Learning and Innovation to be a pivotal hub for fostering innovation and practical education, with the aim of sustaining the impact of Enugu Smart Green schools initiative and vision.
The Centre, which is situated at the Enugu State College of Education (Technical), Enugu and comprises 25 model classrooms, ICT hub, and e-library, among other hi-tech sections and equipment will serve as training and retraining hub to groom teachers in digital innovation, mechatronics, artificial intelligence, robotics, and such related areas to be able to function optimally in delivering knowledge in the state’s 260 smart schools.
Speaking at the flag- off of the project at the Enugu State College of Education (Technical), Enugu(ESCET), Governor Mbah, who was represented by the Commissioner for Education, Prof Ndubueze Mbah, said the Center for Experiential Learning and Innovation (CELI) was being established with the vision to serve as a model for transformative education in Enugu State and beyond.
Pix-Commissioner for Education, Prof Ndubueze Mbah
He said, “it will provide a platform for teachers, and innovators to engage in hands-on learning experiences that are critical for the development of practical skills and sustainable practices”.
Throwing more light on the project in an interview, the Commissioner for Education , Prof Ndubueze Mbah, said ” the experiential learning and innovation as His Excellency envisioned is a centre responsible for making sure that all Smart teachers already experience the Enugu Smart Green Schools before they graduate from the Enugu College of Education (Technical )as students.
“So, before you send teachers for the teaching practice, they need to have spent time in the centre for experiential through learning to develop those penagogical skills that they need to succeed in Smart School.
Pix- Prof Mbah(R), Dr. Ekwueme, Provost ESCET ( L) with the project documents.
“Experiential learning is a new way of teaching and learning. It is about supporting children in school to learn through practice. We want our teachers to be able to design projects that engage students in activities and problem solving..Through those projects, they are able to learn those concepts and internalize them and using them to solve problem.
To do this , they need to understand the curriculum, deep understand of subject so that as when preparing for teaching, it won’t be just writing notes to teach them, but you are taking a step further to prepare a project using the knowledge acquired,” he said..
The Commissioner added that experiential learning required a lot of technological support. “It required access to internet, technology hardware, tablets, computers and smart boards.s theis research driven to be able to come out with best practices.
It is practiced in the Universities and Enugu is first to introduce it in primary and post primary schools in the world.
According to Professor Mbah, “Experiential learning is tied with sustainable goals and we support our students and teachers to identify local problems and come up with solutions tying them to sustainable development goals.
The priority of Gov. Peter Mbah was to build human capital development for Enugu State, to build upscale work force.o produce children who are 4th industrial revolution, to achieve zero per cent headcount and move children out of the street and take them back to school.
The building wants to support this and even tomorrow in the absence of ministry of education that the smart schools endure because every teacher there had been trained with experiential learning. It becomes opportunity for private investor in Enugu education sector reform”, Prof Mbah said.
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Prof Mbah added that Tetfund is paying for the project because they saw Enugu College of Education as one of the dynamic institutions in the Southeast as well as Mbah’s investment in education. The project is expected to be completed in six months.
Pix- Dr. Ekwueme Provost ,ESCET
In an interview, the Provost of Enugu College of Education (Technical) ESCET, Dr Stella Ekwueme said, ” the Centre for Experiential learning is all about training of teachers that will teach in the Smart schools in Enugu state and beyond. “She said the programs they will run there were the subjects taught in schools, both at junior and senior secondary schools.
Pix- Prof Mbah( R) and Dr. Ekwueme (L)
On partnership, the Provost said they already had partners. The partners included the director of the Smart school and other agencies from the International level.
“When we had the e-Governance program, they were there and they are here today.We hope that with the establishment of the Centre for Experiential Learning and innovation, more partners will come”, Dr. Ekwueme said..
She assured the security of the facilities saying, “Of course , you can see security around. Apart from that, ESCET security is there, the CSO , my workers are there. With partnership with the state government, we are going to secure the materials and the workers .We are going to secure everything,” the Provost assured.
Highlight of the event was the handing over of the building document to the Provost. The project is expected to be completed in 6 months time.
Author Maureen Ikpeama.