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Friday, February 23, 2018

Microsoft unveils new education package for Nigerian schools


 

Olaleye Aluko, Abuja

Microsoft Corporation, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja, has introduced an educational framework for the digital transformation of primary and secondary schools in the country.

Our correspondent learnt that part of the framework is a technology solution, Microsoft 365, which can help schools to upload the scores of their pupils and make them accessible to parents.

The solution, developed under the 'Windows in the Classroom' programme, was done in collaboration with a Nigerian firm, Sidmach Technologies.

The Microsoft Education Programmes Manager, Jordan Belmonte, in an interview with our correspondent, said the package would also help schools to track their pupils' attendance and assist parents to monitor their children's academic performance.

Belmonte said, "Microsoft 365 is able to connect all the teachers in the world. Some of the features embedded, like OneNote, aid multiple language learning. Also, it has features that are suitable for special needs children.

"With Skype, for instance, teachers can also connect their classrooms to other classrooms around the world, making for an immersive and interactive learning. It is affordable for private schools and religious schools. We also work with public schools in many of the states and through the Federal Ministry of Education.

"The solution has a school management platform, which allows teachers to put up pupils' scores and parents can see them from home. The solution also helps school administrators to track attendance, scores and other data about students. It allows for better performance. One of the key components of 'Windows in the Classroom' is to launch digital learning platforms.

According to the Microsoft Senior Director of Digital Education Transformation, Mrs Jaye Richards-Hill, the package, Microsoft 365, was built to revamp the education system in Nigerian schools.

"Education leaders in more than 50 countries have already used the Digital Transformation Framework to help plan their strategies in partnership with Microsoft. This framework has been adopted in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and several other African nations. We believe the framework can be of huge value to Nigeria as a large emerging market.

"The people to drive this framework are policy leaders in the Federal Ministry of Education and at the state ministries of education."

The Federal Ministry of Education was represented at the unveiling by the Director, Information and Communication Technology, Mr Ifegwu Oji, and other officials.