According to Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the 37 smart schools being created by the federal government in the several states and the Federal Capital Territory adhere to international best practices and standards for smart education.
He made this statement at the conclusion of a study trip to South Korea that he organized for senior representatives from the Federal Ministry of Education, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, the National Teachers Institute, and several SUBEB chairman (NTI).
As part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between UBEC and KOICA on strengthening the ICT utilization capability of smart school teachers, improving accessibility to high quality teaching and learning contents, and providing infrastructure support to six smart schools, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) organized the one-week study tour from September 20th to September 26th, 2022.
The delegation visited a few of the nation’s smart schools during the study tour, where it became clear that the smart schools being established by the Federal Government were of exceptionally high standards in terms of the appropriate school infrastructure, cutting-edge tools and facilities, qualified and well-trained teachers, and the contemporary Blended Learning methodology to be used.
The delegation also took part in a number of seminars and interactive sessions where experts from UBION, the education technology provider hired by KOICA, and representatives of the South Korean Ministry of Education alternated in explaining the country’s rapid educational advancement and the meticulous procedures used to establish and maintain smart education.
Dr. Bobboyi said during one of the seminars that Nigeria could learn a lot from the Korean educational system and that the lessons would be very helpful in building the Nigerian Smart Schools Program in particular as well as the entire educational system overall. He stressed that the research tour and other KOICA interventions will significantly deepen the friendly ties that already exist between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and South Korea. He noted that the two nations already have a cordial connection.
The delegation participated in a number of cultural tours, paid a courtesy call on His Excellency Alhaji Aliyu Magashi, the Nigerian ambassador to South Korea, and visited a few booths at the Edu Tech Korea Fair.
