*..as VC Bamidele Olumilua Varsity, Prof. Adeoluwa advocates utilising digital technology for enhanced quality education

It’s 40 years of producing quality products and impacting destinies through the provision of adequate proper teaching and learning processes by CABATAF Schools Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Stakeholders, including parents whose children passed through the citadel of learning years back, guests, and friends, showered encomiums on the management of CABATAF for the commitment, resilience, and hardwork dedicated towards the sustainability of the legacy.

At the event held at St. David’s Cathedral Hall, Ijomu Akure, on Wednesday, December 13th, 2023, the guest lecturer who is the Vice-Chancellor of Bamidele Olumilua University of Science, Technology and Education, Prof. Olufemi Adeoluwa emphasized the need for stakeholders in the educational sector to prioritise information and communication technology to aid teaching and learning processes.

Prof. Adeoluwa who asserted that the whole world has become digitalised and moving in a fast pace, advocated training and retraining of teachers to fit into the information technology age, in order to influence the pupils with standard education skills that would make them self-sufficient outside the school walls.

Speaking to the topic, “Brazing up for the future of education, x-raying the merging trends in education technology”, the University Don implored conscientious stakeholders to embrace new trends to provide quality education which digital technology had afforded the world.

He highlighted challenges impeding quality education in Nigeria caused by inconsistencies in government policies, inadequate funding, problems of evaluation, society disregard for integrity and the dignity of labour, unacceptable numbers of out-of-school children and the outdated method of delivering of instructional system.

While analysing the fast changes in the global educational development, which Nigerian’s providers of learning must embrace in order to achieve seamless delivery of instructional materials, the Vice-Chancellor affirmed that, “it is therefore, important to encourage and advise proprietors of educational institutions to embrace technology and move with technology.

“This will, however, require that teachers are trained and retrained from time to time in order to keep them abreast of the continual development in information and communication technology. It will also require a tooling up of the instructional delivery systems of schools to ensure that necessary equipment and subscriptions are put in place to ensure easy accomplishments of the vision.

“All these are now needed not only because all the pupils who enrolled in the schools are digital natives but also because the whole world has become a global village. Schools now need to imbibe skills that will be relevant in modern nations because today, a lot of our children are moving beyond the shores of this nation. “

He, however, charged government at all levels to provide incentives to the private schools to improve on their service delivery of providing quality education, adding that recommendation of textbooks for learning should be based on skills built from readability text rather than political patronage or nepotism.

In his remarks, the school director, Pastor Yinka Ogunode, while walking down the memory lane of CABATAF, which was established in the year 1983, acknowledged the individuals who contributed to the sustainability of the institution through mentorship and other types of support.

He appreciated the staff and parents for the successful hosting of the anniversary and disclosed that management singlehandedly shouldered responsibility for the programme without bothering the parents to contribute, considering the economic situation in the country.

He announced a special anniversary award to an elderly woman, Mrs. Bimpe Adeloye, for her mentorship and inspirational contributions to the development of CABATAF.

Other activities that culminated the anniversary included an end of the year party performances where CABATAF pupils from all its branches entertained guests with different artistic displays, rendition of the history of CABATAF amongst others.

The event also featured the presentation of prizes to pupils in 1st-3rd positions from KG2-Pry 5.

Dignitaries who honoured CABATAF with their presence included Prof. Mrs. Omoya from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Pastor Mrs. Odeyemi of Reconciliation House, Ijapo, Evangelist Olusola Oki, the Managing Director of Emeralds Choir, Mr Obagbemi, representative of Senator Adegbonmire, Pastor Damilola Oni who represented her mother Mrs. Toyin Oni, who is Ondo State Accountant General.