The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, says the newly constructed smart school in the Karshi area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will commence academic activities in September.
Mamman disclosed this during an inspection of the Universal Basic Education Commission’s (UBEC) Model Smart School in the satellite town of Karshi in Abuja on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the smart school has boarding facilities for 700 students.
The minister, who allayed the fears of Nigerians against a replica of what played out with the almajiri schools built by former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, said the initiative has come to stay.
According to him, it is a legacy of the Federal Government to digitise learning from early childhood to basic education and this smart school is an initiative to do that.
“This school combines vocational and education learning. It makes learning interactive for learners. It helps to nurture their thinking and creativity.
“This is the direction our education sector is going. We have learnt lessons from the almajiri schools initiated in the past,” he said.
The minister said that adequate security arrangement, in collaboration with local vigilante in the area has been deployed to ensure security of the students and infrastructure in the school.
”There is a strong community engagement between the school and the community, not only for security but also for the school to impact on the community.
“This is a learning centre which is set up for the training of teachers and others within the Karshi area.
“So, there is this sense of ownership by the community which will help a lot in synergising on so many fronts,” he said.
Mamman lamented that millions of youths turned out to participate at the last protest, noting that the ministry was ready to do what it can to ensure that many youths got back to school.
He further commended the Almajiri Commission for identifying about 11,000 young children in the FCT that would be enrolled into school by September.
He urged the teachers that would be taking up the task of impacting knowledge on the students to take up their responsibility seriously as the school would serve as training ground for them.
Earlier, while receiving the minister, Emir of Karshi, Alhaji Ismail Muhammed, assured the Federal Government of the safety of the school.
Muhammed, represented by the District Head of Karshi, Alhaji Ahmed Doka, pledged to undertake the service of armed vigilante group to secure the learners.
NAN reports that the smart school was constructed to increase the capacity of teachers in the development and use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) content.
NAN further reports that the school would also improve the access of teachers and pupils to quality teaching and learning materials. (NAN)