EdTech coy advocates leadership, digital skills in schools

Teesas, an Educational Technology (EdTech) company, has advocated for a leadership skill and digital education in schools aimed at preparing students for the ‘future-of-work’.

The Chief Executive Officer, Teesas, Osayi Izedonmwen, was speaking during a Leadership and Digital Transformation Conference for the Educational Sector, in Abuja on Tuesday.

Izedonmwen said the company had introduced a digital and leadership transformation in schools known as ‘Leader in me Programme’, with respect to enhance quality education delivery.

According to him, the primarily focus of the leader in me programme is targeted at developing social, emotional learning skills and leadership skills in learners across all educational institutions.

“Today, the world is moving from the typical way education is delivered where we rely on hardcopy books and outdated teaching methods.

“So, we are bringing educators from all kinds of schools and give them insight on how to develop leadership skills in students and also equip them with education management that are digital in nature.

“It is also on how to effectively manage their schools and prepare them and the children for the future-of-work,” he said.

He also said that the country was in dire need of very strong leaders, capable of transforming the country, noting that the earlier the country developed the children, the better for all.

He said that by 2050, nearly half of the children in Africa would be under 18 years, hence the need to tap into the opportunities this would bring.

According to him, one of the biggest challenges this will bring is that we are going to be producing a large workforce and that workforce needs to be equipped with tools that will be relevant by 2050.

“The AI and other tools are growing quickly and you don’t want to build a workforce that is incapable of adding value to the economy.

“We believe very strongly that this is the right time to start sharpening the saw, by ensuring our learners are equipped with the right digital, leadership, social, and emotional skills that the future-of-work will require.

“The future-of-work is going to be global and competitive, so we need to give 21st century tools for leadership, social and emotional skills,” he said.

He, therefore, said that more than 100 schools have been involved in the programme, especially the northern schools, to close the educational gaps.

On his part, Justin Permenter, Regional Director, Franklin Covey Education, said it was high time stakeholders began to decide what to give children to position them for proper education.

According to him, in today’s highly competitive global knowledge economy, all students needed new skills for their career and citizenship.

“Schools haven’t changed, the world has and so our schools are not falling, rather they are obsolete,” he said.(NAN)