Reflecting on the lockdown
measures enforced as a result of the pandemic coronavirus or COVID-19 has
plagued on some States in Nigeria currently.
I personally believe
there are ways technology can help schools (primary, secondary) and
institutions (tertiary), to be more effective, efficient and sustainable during
and after the COVID-19 era.
Well, I am an optimist;
I tend to be very hopeful and confident about the future or the success of most
things. In simple words, I believe that good must ultimately prevail over evil,
and this pandemic will be history someday.
But I also believe “the
dam is broken already”, disruption is already in motion, businesses and
business models are evolving and have evolved.
As a friend of the
academia; primary & secondary schools and also tertiary institutions, I also
believe it’s OK to brainstorm, reflect and share insights into how the academia
can become better with technology, as we reflect considering different point of
views.
DISCLAIMER:
This document is aimed
to share some insights, and also welcome constructive comments, arguments,
criticisms and debates. I believe it’s actually through an honest, open and
formal dialogue, and also steady contest of ideas, and meaningful debates that
great ideas, policies, recommendations or insights emerges.
So you are highly
welcome for CONSTRUCTIVE COMMENTS.
Well, we basically should
not waste energy on things we cannot control right? just like the lockdown. The
argument should be on how schools can still function effectively with the help of
technology during the lockdown and also after the pandemic – this is my
thinking really.
Nigeria Digest of
Education Statistics http://education.gov.ng/nigeria-digest-of-education-statistics/
has so much meaningful education statistics till 2016.
2016 statistics is a
good basis to use, since you already know the numbers will have increased by
some margins right? but the concept remains the same.
a) Total
Number of Primary Schools by Ownership (Public and Private) 2015/2016 is Public
is 62,184 and Private 34,717. Total is 96,901.
b) Primary
Schools Enrolment by Type (Public and Private) and Gender: 2015/2016 Public is
22,352,326 and Private is 3,238,855. Total is 25,591,181.
c) Enrolment
in Private Junior Secondary Schools by State, Class and Gender: 2015/2016 Male
is 526,490 and Female is 525,180. Total is 1,051,670.
d) Teacher
Statistics in Junior Secondary Schools by Ownership and Gender: 2015/2016 Total
is 292,080 (Public and Private). Male (Private) is 69,181 Female (Private) is
73,260. Total (Private) 142,441.
e) Senior
Secondary Schools Enrolment by Ownership (Public and Private) and Gender:
2015/2016 Total (Public and Private) 4,475,309. Male (Private) 467,099 and
Female (Private) 444,462. Total (Private) 911,561.
f) Summary
of Senior Secondary Schools Teachers by Type and Gender: 2015/2016 Total
(Public and Private) 679,159. Male (Private) 144,374 and Female (Private)
136,510. Total (Private) 280,884.
g) Distribution
of Universities by Ownership: 2012/2013 Total is 129 (Federal 40, States 39 and
Private 50).
h) Number
of Undergraduate Students in University Education: 2012/2013 National is
1,274,261 (Federal 761,363; States 438,641; Private 74,257).
i)
Private University Undergraduate
Enrolment by Institution and Gender: 2012/2013 Total is 74,257 (Male 39,203 and
Female 33,750).
So much insightful information
on this website http://education.gov.ng/nigeria-digest-of-education-statistics/
and it’s good to know that G Suite was used.
1) I
believe parents will reflect on either to change or keep a particular school.
They will observe the school’s health and safety strategies. Schools have to
improve or step-up here, trust me parents are already reflecting. I also
understand that parents will consider so many factors like proximity, already
existing relationship built with the school, child or children already have
friends and parents won’t want to break their kids little heart, and also continuous
affordability of the school fees e.t.c. but you will be surprised that all these
will evaporate in view of health and safety concerns.
2) Well,
this pandemic has created disruption and loss of jobs. I believe schools should
create some models that may accommodate installment payments for some parents.
The truth is that, schools that are not adjusting or evolving their strategies
to conform to the new realities will lose customers.
3)
And schools will also have to create some
avenue to embrace technology like using the Google Classroom, which is part of
the G Suite for Education and its FREE for schools provided you qualify and also
eligible. I am happy to guide schools who are interested, and read more below:
Helping educators and students
stay connected
4) The
Hangout Meet or Google Meet as the case may be, will help schools and teachers
with video conferencing capabilities.
New
Meet features to improve distance learning
I
will say this to schools in black and white, this is actually how you can also maintain
your current customers and also your current competitive advantage – it’s called
“Sustaining Innovation” in Disruptive Strategy.
Reflecting
upon Disruptive Innovation at Harvard Business School with Clayton Christensen
5) According
to Clayton Christensen “Sustaining innovations are improvements to existing
solutions on the market and are typically targeted at customers who require
better performance from a product or service.”
6) When
they create new flavors or colors or features of an existing product so they
can generate some excitement in consumers who are already purchasing their
product. Well to read more, the book -
“The
Prosperity Paradox: How Innovation Can Lift Nations Out of Poverty Book by
Clayton Christensen, Efosa Ojomo, and Karen Dillon”.
7) How
do schools make money really? Schools receive income from school fees, other
fees, grants and donations e.t.c. and what do they spend this income on? Salaries
and wages, stationary, library, general expenses, buildings, annual function
expenses, laboratory, outstandings e.t.c. doing the plus and minus of
expenditures from income will reveal if a school will be profitable either in
the short-run or long-term, it’s not rocket science and technology and
automation helps reduce additional overheads on the expenditures, but wait! the
income is vital, that’s why you cannot afford to lose customers, because that’s
where your cash flow comes from.
8) On
the other hand, how do schools get funded? Do the buildings grow from the
ground all by itself? Well, some proprietors may have loans running from banks,
and of-course they have to pay back within the specified period. And we all
know that those buildings are asset, and yes that’s why those banks have great
confidence to speedily give out money, because they can see the leverage and
they also monitor the cash flows both in and out (banks are really awesome), and
that’s why it’s very easy for them to come to a YES or NO decision.
I hope this was
informative.
Thank you.
Aderogba Otunla
CONNECT . INFORM
. INSPIRE
#GBGAbuja #AderogbaOtunla
#Schools #BraceForImpact #Coronavirus #COVID19
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