Launch of Experiential Learning Center: Smart Schools Unveiled by Gov. Mbah

Dr. Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu State, has officially cut the ribbon on a new center for experiential learning and innovation as part of the state’s efforts to make its Smart Green School system more environmentally friendly.

Located at the Enugu State College of Education (Technical) in Enugu, this state-of-the-art facility has 25 model classrooms, an information and communication technology hub, an electronic library, and other cutting-edge features that will train and retrain educators in areas such as digital innovation, mechatronics, artificial intelligence, robotics, and related fields so that they can effectively impart knowledge in the 260 smart schools across the state.

At the weekend, the governor—represented by the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ndubueze Mbah—flagged off the construction. He said that this was an important part of his administration’s plan to build smart human capital, increase the size of the workforce, create a new generation of workers capable of bringing about the fourth industrial revolution, and end poverty in the state.

To ensure that all Smart teachers get firsthand experience with the Enugu Smart Green Schools prior to graduating from the Enugu College of Education Technical, ESCET, the governor envisioned the Experiential Learning and Innovation center.

University students are engaging in experiential learning. As a result, it would be implemented in elementary and secondary schools in Enugu first.

Teachers must have completed coursework at the Centre for Experiential Learning and Innovation to acquire the pedagogical knowledge necessary to excel at the Smart Green School before they can be sent for the teaching practice.

The goal of experiential learning is to help students learn by doing in the classroom. This is all about changing the current situation where teachers only deliver lectures to one where they may create projects that include students in activities and problem-solving. Therefore, students are able to absorb the material, internalize it, and apply it to future situations via these projects.

“So, it is tied to sustainable goals and we support our students and teachers to identify local problems and come up with solutions tying them to sustainable development goals,” he remarked.

After acknowledging the state’s contribution in education, Mbah praised the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TetFund, for paying for the project.

Tetfund recognizes our effort and innovation in education, which is why they are financing for the initiative. Another one of the country’s innovative schools, in their view, is Enugu College of Education Technical. Additionally, he mentioned that if they observe the success, it might be carried out in other institutions and regions around the nation.

In her remarks, Dr. Stella Ekwueme, Provost of ESCET, praised Governor Mbah for his leadership, saying that the state has quickly become an educational leader.

As she outlined how the project would transform education in Enugu State and, by extension, the country, she expressed her gratitude to TetFund for their support of the Enugu State Government’s initiative.