EFFECTS OF EBOLA ON NIGERIA'S EDUCATION SYSTEM

The reopening date for both private and state schools in Nigeria was shifted forward as a measure to control the Ebola outbreak.

Ebola has taken a toll on so many sectors in the country including education. The postponement was necessary in order to allow schools the chance to be well prepared in providing safety and hygienic measure for the students and teachers in Nigeria.

“Safety comes first and I believe the government has done the right thing by closing the schools until the situation is much better,” Tokunboh Durosaro, director of the Oando Foundation told CNBC Africa.

“The Ebola virus started in July and children were already out of school. I believe it gives most schools enough time to prepare to give them all the safety measures they need before the schools resume. It actually gives enough time for the schools to prepare and educate themselves as well as their communities.”

In terms of how the level of hygiene education given to students in school, there is a need to upgrade it by teaching students more about personal hygiene apart from the normal knowledge of terminal diseases.

“We [tend to] focus more on HIV/AIDS but with the Ebola virus, which is new, we need to ensure that cleanliness and using hand sanitizers. [Children] need to be re-educated on what they need to do.”

For safety provision measures in government-owned schools it is necessary for the state to provide facilities and items needed for all the education facilities.

“It is a priority for any government in any state so they will have to ensure that they provide the funds to ensure that every school has proper hygiene care. I think most of the states will ensure that is done,” she added.

“We have to think safety before disruption, they can do catch up, we have mid-term breaks and a holiday. We just have to ensure that the teachers [change] the curriculum to ensure that they cover this term.” 

CNBC AFRICA

MICROSOFT BRINGS TECH TO THE CLASSROOM WITH TV WHITE SPACE

Microsoft South Africa, in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the University of Limpopo, and local networking firm Multisource, with regulatory support from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa have officially launched the implementation phase of the TV White Space (TVWS) pilot project. The pilot project is part of the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative and its end goal is to help ignite Africa’s economic development and improve its global competitiveness through innovation, world-class skills and affordable access.

While most of us benefit from the use of tablet devices, laptops and PCs, with active internet connections on a daily basis, a part of the population in Africa has never even seen or utilised these devices and services before. These devices are now being used in the classrooms of five schools and the University of Limpopo in order to expose hundreds of students and teachers to 21st century teaching techniques, which will ultimately make them more employable in future.

This pilot project has the potential to positively affect the lives of millions of South Africans, as the affordability of broadband remains a formidable barrier to universal access in many parts of rural South Africa. By simply reducing the cost of broadband access, millions of South Africans could get online, creating new opportunities for education, health care, commerce and the delivery of government services across the country.

While students will have access to the internet, they will however be limited in what they will be able to access online, ensuring that the focus remains solely on education at all times.

The Limpopo TV White Spaces pilot project aims to enable quality education for all through technology, helping to close the digital divide in Africa.

ORACLE E-CAMPUS GOES LIVE

The University of Djibouti has implemented a new software system to help it achieve its ambition to deliver tertiary education to students in countries on the horn of Africa. Sponsored by the Ministry of Higher Education, the University of Djibouti e-campus was unveiled at a ceremony attended by the Djiboutian President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh and students from the university.

Dr Nabil Mohamed Ahmed, Minister of Higher Education and Research, said that the Peoplesoft system will entrench global best practices in delivering and managing higher education. “This is the perfect platform upon which to build our continuing investment in the youth of this region, for whom world-class education is essential.” He said that modern technology is a key requirement to advance education in Djibouti and beyond.

“The significance of this implementation lies in the vision of the Djibouti’s President, who recognized that modern technology today is a vehicle for progress,” said Alfonso di Ianni, Oracle Senior Vice President, East Central Europe, Middle East and Africa. “This implementation has proved that information technology is a very powerful transformational tool for business and government.”

The long-term goal of the university is to provide degree and post-graduate courses to students in surrounding countries, a service the university believes will be supported by the system.