The Federal Government at the weekend kicked off boot camp training for pupils within 8 to 11 in various aspects of Information and Communications Technology.
The government said the decision to introduce the children to ICT was to ensure that they are part and parcel of the fourth industrial revolution sweeping across the world.
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Malam Abdullahi Kashifu said the government decision was part of a strategic plan to put ICT in every home across Nigeria.
He made the remarks at the closing ceremony of a two-week boot camp training tagged:” Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) for kids (SB4KIDS).”
The programme which took place at the Federal Civil Service Training Institute, Kubwa, Abuja, was organised by the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), an arm of NITDA.
He said the kids were taught robotics, coding, drones, and digital communication, among others.
Kashifu said: “SB4Kids is part of NITDA’s effort towards implementing the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), particularly the NDEPS’s pillar-digital literacy and skills.
“The quality of education, especially Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, is deteriorating in our country, as evident from the recent performance of students in major national examinations.
“As we march towards the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), there is a need for a new strategy and innovative approaches to STEM education, such as the introduction of Artificial intelligence (AI), Robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), and other emerging technologies into our educational system.
“Through the SB4Kids, NCAIR engages youngsters between the age of 8 to 16 years in an immersive and well-articulated boot camp meant to coach and inspire them to imbibe STEM passion and create an early interest in digital and emerging technologies, which will hopefully shape their future careers in these fields. NITDA SB4Kids is a yearly initiative, normally conducted during the summer school holidays”.
Kashifu explained that the SB4KIDS was conducted between 23rd August and 2nd September, in two batches, this year, noting that the first batch engaged youngsters between the ages of 8 and 11 years, while the second batch was for youngsters between the ages of 12 to 16 years.
“This year, NITDA SB4KIDS has trained almost two hundred (200) participants, with 96 junior kids and 82 senior kids. During the entire programme”, all participants were provided meals for lunch, writing materials and all necessary care to ensure that our youngsters had a very pleasant experience and a fun environment to aid their learning.”
Skilled NCAIR members took them through various technologies, on a journey requiring critical thinking and a high sense of curiosity in the world of science and digital technologies,” he asserted.
Source: The Nation
No comments:
Post a Comment