Greensprings School is the first school in Nigeria and indeed, sub-Saharan Africa to adopt Samsung’s Smart School solution, with the establishment of a Smart Classroom in your school. How does this make you feel?
Really good! Even though we did not set out to be the first to adopt this very critical system of learning, we have always turned out to be the first in quite a lot of educational innovations in Nigeria. Our adoption of the solution is borne out of our mission to ensure that we bring global education to our children. Most of our students are Nigerians and we don’t see any reason why the way they are educated should be different from the way their counterparts anywhere in the world are educated.
You’ll find that even within our curriculum, our system of learning is unique. We are proud that every child that graduates from Greensprings can go and study or work anywhere in the world with great confidence. Our alumni continue to blaze trails and we get such great testimonies at all levels. I’m very passionate about what I do and we have a great team here. That is one of the things that keep us going.
How do you see school education evolving in Nigeria with respect to global trends?
I pray that we as educators in the private sector and maybe more importantly, the government, catch on to what is happening in the world, because in reality, if we do not, we are jeopardising our future. I know from the steps that we have taken, that quite a number of schools are already making enquiries about the Smart School Solution and I hope that they will take it on. But you know it is very expensive to make all of this happen.
What would you highlight as the key benefits of the Smart Classroom solution?
There are quite a number of benefits to be derived from the solution. Firstly, the children are learning better. The reality is that these children are wired to learn this way and so it is a great tool for getting the best out of them. We probably won’t be having too many instances of children that are restless in class. Do you see how well they concentrate when they have their gaming machines, even the very restless ones? It’s shocking.
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It is this same level of concentration that you will get from them with the Smart School Solution. You’re getting their full attention, and of course because the teacher is also able to monitor what they’re doing, no child will stray away from the lesson and do something else. In addition, we have had instances when parents have had to travel with their children for up to three months. The child can actually continue his education at Greensprings School from anywhere in the world via the Smart School Solution. This facility is being test run here as we speak.
What impact does the Smart School Solution have on tutors’ output in terms of enhancing the quality of learning of students?
Remember that even the teachers themselves have to learn and unlearn teaching methodologies. However, with the Smart School Solution, they are able to do much more than they could have done with the traditional method of learning. And beyond that, we are also providing both students and teachers with internet at home, which means that on the portal, they can submit and review homework, which is new and innovative.
In your opinion how does Smart learning compare with the traditional learning?
The Greek philosopher, Plato said “this time will come.” And within that quotation also, Plato said that God will give us the wisdom to recognise knowledge and light. Basically, these children are inundated with information and part of what we have to teach them is how to discern the good from the bad.
And that is why it is so sad that within our educational system, we’re still telling children, for instance, to memorise the multiplication tables. It is not necessary because you know that at the touch of a button, you can get all of that information. Yes, in the course of time, the child will learn the multiplication tables, however, it should not be a focal point because the world has moved away from that mode of learning, but some parents have not moved away. They still want their children to be educated the way they were educated. That is robbing the children of their future if that happens.
Will the Smart Classroom technology inspire some changes in your curriculum?
Well, our curriculum is dynamic. We are exploring all the options available on the platform and if we find something that is good for us, we will definitely adopt it. That is what we have done since the inception of the school. We go to all areas of the developed world and see what they have in their educational system and then we build what we feel is good into our curriculum to enhance the quality of leaning of our students. I’m not blowing our trumpet when I say that our students are very well prepared to surmount the challenges of the future.
What are the major limitations to the adoption of Smart learning technologies in Nigeria?
Cost! It is expensive and it is only possible here as a result of the passion we have for learning. You see the notebooks, you see the e-boards, but these are just a part of the cost. There are back-end costs associated with operating the Smart School, like setting up and maintaining the platform and so on.
However, there is a lot of value to be realised from investing in the solution because it is the future of education. You can imagine that in Nigeria today, quite a number of parents still register their children for GCE London, an exam that has stopped being relevant over 40 years ago! Smart learning is the way to go.
