Bridging the gap between urban and rural schools in the FCT due to the prolonged closure of schools occasioned by the new COVID-19 pandemic is imperative hence an ‘Adopt a Library Initiative.’
It is lamentation always over the absence of online learning platforms in rural communities, which calls for collective commitment to supporting students in rural communities and providing resources to stimulate their interest in learning, especially during this period of coronavirus pandemic.
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Since the outbreak of this pandemic, we have explored the gap regarding technology integration between urban and rural schools in the territory.
And in our exploration, we are guided by two main questions: Is there any significant difference in terms of technology availability between rural and urban elementary schools?
And Is there any significant difference in terms of students’ attitudes, competence and experiences in technology integration between rural and urban elementary schools?
Our findings show that there was a significant difference in technology availability between rural and urban schools, including the number of interactive white-boards, desktops in labs, notebooks, netbooks and tablet-computers.
There was also a difference in teacher overall high-tech integration level between rural and urban schools.
With the help of friends and partners, we can reach more students with books, computers, internet facilities and other learning materials because from our study, the urban schools might be more resourceful in terms of ICT infrastructure than semi-urban schools.
We therefore call on all stakeholders in the education sector to support the scheme in rural communities across the six area councils in the territory.
Dr. Jummai Ahmadu, President, Helpline Foundation for the Needy
