The Lagos State Ministry of Basic Secondary School Education in conjunction with Darsel Mathematics Learning Platform, a U.S.-based non-governmental organisation, and Sapphire Exploits 21st Century Skill Consulting Limited, on Wednesday trained 100 mathematics teachers in junior secondary schools.

The Chief Executive Officer, Sapphire Exploits 21st Century Skill Consulting Ltd., Wunmi Alalade, said that the initiative, ‘Artificial Intelligence Powered Chat Board System,’ a curriculum-based system, was to support teachers on effective teaching of the subject and monitoring of the students.

The one-day event was held at the Lagos State Education Resource Centre, Ojodu, Lagos.

Mrs Alalade, a retired teacher from Lagos State Ministry of Education, said that there was need for the pupils preparing for the 2023/2024 Basic Education Certificate Examination to perform credibly in mathematics.

She said, “I feel that one way I can help my colleagues and give back as a retired teacher in Lagos is to use technology to improve teaching and learning, particularly in mathematics, being a critical and important subject.

“It covers curriculum from JSS1 to JSS3 and they use the platform to approach questions, while the teachers keep a table on their activities through the code attached to each pupils.’’

She noted that the training which began in November 2023 virtually was to engage the teachers on how to approach their pupils.

She added, “After the observers’ visit last month, we realised that there is a need to have a face-to-face engagement. The main idea is to address challenges that the teachers and pupils have encountered so far and to see how best we can solve it so that the project can be thoroughly executed.

“The participants were drawn from teachers in the junior arms of public secondary school across the six educational districts and it’s to support the learners as they begin to prepare for their BECE.

“It is also to promote self-directed learning and practice of mathematics concept, covering the Junior Secondary School Nigerian Curriculum in public schools across Lagos State.’’

Mrs Alalade said that her interest was to give back to the state and contribute her quota that would help pupils improve on mathematics, being a major and required subject.

Meanwhile, she commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the state’s Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, for creating an enabling environment for the programme and being passionate about digital education.

She disclosed that efforts were being made to extend the opportunity to more teachers in the next academic session through the Department of Science and Technology under the Ministry, to align with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s T.H.E.M.E.S. Agenda.

Meanwhile, Mrs Adedeji Aderonke from Education District 2, who described the programme as a wonderful and welcome development, said it would motivate teachers and help the pupils to know more and how to solve problems in mathematics, which students usually tag as ‘difficult.’’

Also, Alli Bukola, from District six, however appealed to parents to complement the effort of the organisers by making the devices available within a specific time so that the students could access the platform and benefit from the curriculum.

(NAN)