This news was culled from the Nigeria Tribune.
JAN 11, 2023
The Bayelsa State Government has commenced he training of 50 Primary school teachers on creative coding and robotic skills in a bit to attend problem-solving skills creativity, and improving the mathematical ability of student in public schools across the state.
Speaking during a three-day training for the 50 teachers in Yenagoa, the Executive Secretary of the Bayelsa State Education Development Trust Fund (EDTE) Board, Dr Alice A. Atuwo, said the current training will be followed by the Launch of a three-month training of 100 girls in Technological Entrepreneurship (Technovation) in the Model Secondary Schools of the State.
She further explained that the board had earlier carried out the training of “Coding and Robotics” for 103 students in SS1 and SS2 during the last Summer Camping Programme in October 2022 but this time the program is being funded by Odyssey Educational Foundation and that it is free of charge.
Parts of her remarks read “the benefits of training students in coding and robotics are numerous. Research has proved that introduction of coding and robotics training enhances problem-solving skills, creativity, and mathematical abilities of students.
Bayelsa govt empowers 50 teachers with creative coding, robotic skills
“Thus this training is very important. Teachers need to be well-equipped to help train our students in this body of new knowledge. It 1s the way to go if we want our students to join the committee of world netizens.
”We appreciate the Odyssey Educational Foundation for this collaboration and partnership. They have created opportunities for our teachers. I urge the teachers to seize the prospects being offered by this training by working so hard that they succeed in every challenge that may be thrown at them.
“The prospects include access to annual grants, scholarships, etc. Please give your very best and be champions in your field of endeavour. For us at EDTF Board, it is our resolve to continually support any worthy course that would bring advancement to the education sector of the State.”
Speaking earlier, Stella Uzockukwu-Dennis, the Program Director of Odyssey Educational Foundation said that the training is aimed at bringing Bayelsa State up to speed with the constantly changing digital world.
She said that training would expose teachers and students to coding languages that could command the computer to function on its own and that by extension they would be able to use this knowledge to move and control robots.
“That is where technology is now; 4.0 is where the world is currently operating from. So, in essence, the project is intended to help the children of Bayelsa State start early. And with funding from an international donor called Scratch, we have been able to bring this project to Bayelsa State.”
