By Faith Igbudu
Ahead of the forthcoming official commissioning of the Benue State E-learning and Virtual Education ICT Resource Centre (BESEVIC), established by Governor Samuel Ortom, a pilot test of the project has been approved for participation and integration of schools into the policy.
This was disclosed by the Commisioner for Education, Prof. Denis Ityavyar, in a letter of approval for the pilot test access for selected schools and training of teachers and lecturers on the programme, exclusively obtained by The Voice from BESEVIC.
BESEVIC is also to undertake mandatory training of 22,000 teachers and lecturers in public schools to equip them with required digital literacy skills and ICT knowledge, relevant for implementation of the policy in the state.
Some of the schools approved for participation in the e-learning/virtual education test platform include the Benue State University (BSU) Makurdi, Benue State Polytechnic Ugbokolo, Government Model Secondary School Makurdi, St Dominic High School Sachi-Makurdi, Ben Paulian Secondary School, Oju and the LGEA Primary School Wurukum, Makurdi, among others.
Ityavyar said the e-learning/virtual education platform test is preparatory to the official launching of the multi-million naira Benue e-learning/virtual education and ICT in education intervention policy of the Benue State government towards making available, e-learning resources and ICT soft and hard infrastructure for all levels of education institutions in the state
The BESEVIC establishment is in accordance with the educational development of the Governor Ortom administration to key into the federal ministry of education National Policy on ICT Education 2019 document and Digital Literacy and Knowledge Economy Policy Strategy 2020-2030 of the Federal Ministry of Communications and digital economy which call for systematic and coordinated intervention of all stakeholders to support and finance the development of ICT in education and enhance digital skills.
The commissioner explained that BESEVIC was also fashioned out by state government to mitigate the devastating effects of COVID-19 and post COVID-19 pandemic on education in the state.
According to him, “the centre is also targeted to help the implementation of the state government policy ICT in education system through information technology revolution and subsidy interventions to support and finance software and hardware infrastructure for education institutions.”
By the integration of schools into the e-learning and ICT in Education policy, it has become mandatory that all schools in the state, both public or private, must make provision and maintain a functional ICT laboratory with systems, LAN and internet access, as well as content authoring studio with subsidy and technical support from BESEVIC.
Meanwhile, the Managing Partner/CEO of Gamint Corporate Ltd, the consulting partner for BESEVIC, Mr Terwase-Hembaor Gbande has assured that the centre has completed development of its software as a service solution for the implementation of the virtual education platforms for schools and ready for the training, prior to official handing over and commissioning by Governor Ortom.
Gbande said, “when finally commissioned, the BESEVIC will solve the information and technology challenges of the educational system in the state and set Benue state education on the world map of smart ICT compliant entities in the world.”
