By Ryan Lee-James, PhD, director of the Rollins Center for Language & Literacy and Laura Bollman, director of operations of the Rollins Center.

Since the advent of the written word, which created the need to read, literacy has been used as a tool of power and oppression. Who is taught to read – and who is forbidden to learn to read? Who has access and who is denied?

In America today, literacy is a necessity to unlock life’s potential, yet less than 35% of children can read proficiently.

America’s literacy crisis affects all children of all demographic groups. This crisis – like all societal inequalities – affects our black, brown, poor and multilingual children the most. Less than 18% of black children and less than 21% of Hispanic children read well – and we reject the commonly accepted implications that this national failure falls on any child, family or teacher. Responsibility for our illiteracy crisis rests squarely with the systems that have knowingly withheld, and those that have refused to implement, the established body of evidence and the broad interdisciplinary sciences that make up the science of reading.

We know that 95% of all children can learn to read through structured, evidence-based literacy practices (the science of reading). When we consider that it is possible for 95% of our children to read but only 35% of children read today, we are called to raise our voices on behalf of the 54 million young people who are excluded from their own lives.

At the Rollins Center for Language and Literacy (a program of the Atlanta Speech School) and our Cox Campus, we are committed to building the deep reading brain for all kidsfrom the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, through language development to literacy.

We align with the philosophies of deep literacy and deep reading outlined by Dr. Gholdy Muhammad and Dr. Maryanne Wolf. In Wolf’s book Reader, come home, it articulates deep reading as moving beyond the widely accepted societal standard of “competence” to a more meaningful purpose, beyond decoding, reading fluency, and literal comprehension. The goal is a deeper, more analytical brain – a brain that thinks critically and takes others’ perspectives while feeling empathy for their plight. A deep-reading brain demonstrates self-reflection in imagining a better choice, a better idea, and a better world. Muhammad extends this philosophy, by Cultivate geniusdescribing reading and writing as “transformative acts that improve self and society – ‘essential for a person’ to read, write, think and speak in ways that understand power and equity in order to understand and to promote the struggle against oppression”.

During Black History Month and each month, we are motivated and consider the black literary societies raised by Dr. Muhammad as our North Star for all children, regardless of zip code, race or ethnicity. The betterment of humanity, the advancement of democracy, and the realization of freedom depend on a literate population, which we are obligated to achieve – for our future.

• The literacy crisis in the United States is not the fault of teachers, families or children. We reject the narrative that continues to afflict disenfranchised communities.
• We affirm that a family or caregiver is not responsible for teaching their child to read – structured, evidence-based reading instruction is the responsibility of our schools.
• We reject 3rd the level as the standard by which all children should acquire a literate language; that is to say, we need a system that allows all the children not to be able to read at the same time.
• We affirm that all children, regardless of background, have inherent strengths and rich experiences. We believe it is the responsibility of education systems to build on these strengths and cultivate every child’s unlimited human potential for academic success.
• We refuse that the crisis of illiteracy is a “black problem”. While black children have paid the highest price, given the systemic denial of education in the South and elsewhere, persistent national data across all demographics indicates that this crisis is not confined to just one group of people. children.
• We reject the claim that children cannot have language-related learning disabilities (such as dyslexia) if the learning challenge can be a result of “environmental, cultural or economic disadvantage” (quoted from Federal Special Education Act, IDEA 2004, 34 CFR 300.307). This definition is used to deny special education services to black, brown, poor, and multilingual children to which they are entitled under federal law.

As a global response to this persistent systemic failure, the Cox Campus is democratizing the sciences of healthy brain development, language, and reading – making classes, content, and community free for everyone. We are committed to literacy and justice for all. We do this through an equity-based learning platform where together we build the expertise and agency for every adult to play a part in helping every child find their voice and live boldly to reshape the world.

Literacy denied is access, equity and justice denied. We see states across the country elevating the importance of the science of reading through reading legislation. Simply put, READ Acts addresses evidence-based teacher training and allocates public funds to curriculum and resources grounded in the science of reading so that all students learn to read and thrive. We invite you to join us today as an ally for literacy and justice for all Georgian children. Write to us to find out more and make the difference [email protected]

(1) In Atlanta in 2019, before schools were closed due to the pandemic, these rates translated to 76% white children, 16% black children, and 23% Hispanic children reading at the grade level or at the above in fourth grade. For children eligible for free or reduced lunch, 15%.

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Denser cities and fewer green spaces. What is left for children when the urban landscape changes? It’s a big part of the architectural courses at Chalmers, but also the theme of this year’s technology competition where school pupils designed the playground of the future. In Gothenburg and other major cities, major densification projects are planned in the coming years. But how can the city be adapted to children when spaces are becoming denser and green spaces are becoming rarer? These are questions that Chalmers students reflect on daily in various projects, often in close collaboration with the city.

Several student projects have been carried out with a focus on the child’s perspective, for example in the Designing and Planning for Social Inclusion course where Chalmers Masters students designed and shaped a number of places suitable for children in the city, such as a parkour park, a space-themed playground, and an outdoor classroom, dubbed “The Story of Gärdsås Bog”.

– It is very important to raise the point of view of children, otherwise it is an easily forgotten group, because they do not have a voice in society in the same way as adults. Therefore, it is important for architects to practice listening to, engaging and involving children in every project, whether the project itself focuses on children or not, says Emilio Da Cruz Brandao, who teaches architecture at Chalmers and manages degree projects in the Masters. Architecture and Planning Beyond Sustainability program.

The students of the Reality Studio course work globally from the perspective of children and have, among other things, been involved in projects such as the construction of playgrounds and schools in Kenya.

– When the students return, they will present their process to the children here in Gothenburg, to show how important the children’s perspective is all over the world. It will be a very important learning process for everyone, says Emilio Da Cruz Brandao.

Victoria McCrea is a student who worked to elevate the children’s perspective and participated in the outdoor classroom construction project. In her diploma project, she designed a kindergarten and a language school together in the same building in Kortedala, Gothenburg. This project was based on her experience as an SFI (Swedish for Immigrants) pupil and preschool substitute in Gothenburg and was created in close cooperation with SFI teachers.

– I think it is important as an architect to gather the opinions of those who will use the places we create.

Today, Victoria McCrea works with design schools in an architect’s office in Lund, Sweden.

– It’s still early in my career, but I hope to be able to use all my experiences in future projects. Life after school is a completely different sea to navigate. Rarely do you work with clients who are willing to pay to incorporate the woodpecker, frog dance, and kids’ opinions into a project, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to create space for them!

The technology competition continues this theme

This year’s technology competition, aimed at fifth and sixth graders, is also tied to the theme of children’s perspective in the urban landscape. Students are tasked with building their vision of what a playground will look like in 100 years, building a creative model that will encourage them to play outside together. They had to work like real engineers, from the idea to the finished prototypes. Then they filmed their projects where they talk about what they want the playgrounds of the future to look like.

Almost 130 contributions were received from all over Sweden. Of these, six scholarships excelled the most and they are allowed to share 25,000 SEK in scholarships.

Dorotea Blank at Chalmers works to inspire and engage children and young people and was a driving force in the technology competition.

– Getting involved in developing the knowledge of future generations is one of the best investments in the future that Chalmers can make. I am convinced that students’ desire for technology and creative problem solving has been sparked by this year’s technology challenge. A big compliment to all the teachers who motivate, inspire and push the students. It should be noted that the children had a great time, she said.

This is confirmed by students from Bergsgårdsskolan in Angered, Gothenburg, who say the most fun thing about taking part in the tech competition was building and thinking about what the future will look like. And teacher Michaela Oskarsson agrees.

– We see that it is inspiring and rewarding for the children to get involved and that they have a good idea of ​​the technological subject and what an engineer can work with, she says.

The students’ contribution to the playground of the future in 2121 is now on display in various Gothenburg libraries.

Text: Vedrana Sivac and Johanna Fasth

CN Ashwath Narayan, Minister of Higher Education, Information Technology, Skills Development and Entrepreneurship, said the education sector across the world has shown tremendous capacity to Adaptation by embracing new ways of teaching and learning, and the mass adoption of digital technology has emerged as a key economic driver that has accelerated growth and helped facilitate job creation.

Addressing a gathering after the inauguration of a job fair organized by the Department of Skills Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihoods at Poojya Doddappa Appa Engineering College in Kalaburagi on Saturday, Dr Narayan said said that in an effort to make the state unemployment-free, we are introducing market-skills-focused courses in academics to ensure that students have not only academic qualification but also skills and the experience they bring with them, which makes them ready to work.

In recent years, skills development has taken precedence over academic qualification in the current employment scenario and has proven that there is a consensus among the younger generations on the importance of skills development for employment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has redefined the economic engine with a particular focus on start-ups, and Karnataka wants to play a vital role in making that happen. “Our government’s intention is to provide the younger generation with enough knowledge and opportunity to pursue their dreams and compete on a global platform. The government is harnessing the power of education, technology and skills development to make Karnataka a futuristic state where young people can turn their dreams into reality,” Dr Narayan said.

The Karnataka Skill Development Corporation (KSDC) provides free training to 31,000 students across the state. Dr. Narayan said that KSDC would set up skills development training centers in Kalyana Karnataka to train the youths and make them employable, which would accelerate the socio-economic development of the region.

The Minister said that the Government Tool Room and Training Center (GTTC) in Koppal and Yadgir districts will soon have English labs on their campuses to help hone students’ communication skills to drive success in the global workplace, he added.

Kalaburagi MP Umesh Jadhav, KKRDB Chairman Dattatreya Patil Revoor, NEKRTC Chairman Rajkumar Patil Telkur, MLCs Sunil Vallapure and BG Managing Director Patil and Zilla Panchayat Dilesh Sasi were present.

Tribune press service

Tarn Taran: Basant Panchami Online was celebrated at Guru Amar Dass Adarsh ​​Institute, Goindwal Sahib on Saturday with great enthusiasm. The festival marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. Principal Jatinderpal Singh Randhawa, director of the institution, said the purpose of celebrating the festival is to connect students with Punjabi heritage and raise awareness about the changes that occur in nature in spring. On this occasion, poems, songs, speeches, etc. were presented by the students dressed in clothes with spring colors. Various craft activities took place during which students made colorful kites. Many students also prepared food with spring colors. Speaking on the occasion, Manisha Sood, director of the institution, congratulated all Basant Panchami and encouraged them to celebrate each festival together.

Voters invited to exercise their right to vote

Amritsar: Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Principal of DAV College, Amritsar has called on all voters in the district to vote. The cooperation of the inhabitants of the city is necessary for the formation of the government of their choice. His message was videotaped by the SVEEP team and the clipping was broadcast statewide via social media. With this, young people, old people and Divyangjan will be motivated to vote. Dr. Rajesh in his message said that all voters are nation builders. The state government is elected every five years by their votes. By voting for a better application in our opinion, we can expect a development of the city. All the inhabitants of the State participate directly in this electoral process. The Electoral Commission strives to make elections a regular, free and fair event. This requires the cooperation of all voters. In addition to ensuring voter safety, the administration is committed to holding elections in a free, fair and fearless environment.

Students get jobs

The students of the Tourism and Travel Management Bachelor Department of the Global Institute Group have been placed in various companies engaged in the management of airlines, restaurant chains, vacation management and other businesses. Particular care to hone students’ interpersonal skills to prepare them as professionals ready to meet the demands and demands of industry. During the recent placement campaign, the students of the BTTM department left their mark.

Organized academic sessions

Three academic sessions were held on Day 10 of the 16-day Assistant/Associate Physical Education Teacher Training Program. This program was organized by the Department of Physical Education, Guru Nanak Dev University in collaboration with the Department of Higher Education, Punjab. The morning fitness session started with a warm up followed by conditioning and resistance exercises on the stairs, circuit training and a yoga session. During the first academic session, Dr. Parminder Singh, Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Education, delivered his talk on the journey of physical education from ancient Olympic to modern Olympic. He educated participants on human resources and infrastructure and games in antiquity and modern times. The second academic session was managed by Dr. VP Lumba, (Retired Principal) Hindu College, Amritsar presented the communication skills to be an ideal teacher. He emphasized positivity in communication. He spoke of clear conversation and correct body language to leave an effective impression on the audience. During the third academic session, Dr. Rajkumar Sharma delivered his speech on The Physical Education Teacher: A Role Model for Students. He enriched the participants with his lifelong experience. oc/

Can telemedicine improve asthma care for pediatric patients and young adults?

A new study from UC Davis Health examines the use of telemedicine in asthma patients. Researchers identify best practices that can minimize health disparities, maximize patient experience and increase access. This is the first study to evaluate the use of telemedicine between provider and patient for asthma care in children and young adults. The study was published this month in the asthma diary.

Asthma is the most common health problem among young people in the United States, affecting approximately 8% of children and young adults. Previous studies have shown that children with asthma experience more than double the number of missed school days than those without asthma.

“Because asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood, optimizing the delivery of care to families is uniquely important. We wanted to explore whether telemedicine is a practical solution for parents and patients with asthma,” said Rory Kamerman-Kretzmer, a pediatric pulmonologist at UC Davis and one of the study’s authors.

The UC Davis Pediatric Telemedicine Program was one of the first programs of its kind in the nation to provide physicians and patients with real-time remote consultation and assessment through interactive, high-speed video and audio communication. definition.

A mixed-method study using electronic health records, focus groups

Researchers analyzed the electronic health records of all patients, ages 2 to 24, who were seen at UC Davis Health for a primary diagnosis of asthma during the state-wide shelter-in-place order. State of California (March 19, 2020 through September 30, 2020). A total of 502 patients met the criteria. Of these patients, 207 had at least one telemedicine visit. Of the remaining patients, 265 had in-person visits only and 27 had telephone visits. Three had a combination of in-person and telephone visits.

Most study patients were male (57.6%), lived in urban areas (85.5%), spoke English as their primary language (96%), and had private insurance (65.5%). %). Patients who spoke a primary language other than English were significantly less likely than English-speaking patients to adopt telemedicine for asthma care during the pandemic.

Because UC Davis Health serves an area of ​​33 counties, many patients travel great distances to get to the Sacramento clinic. In this study, more than 10% of patients traveled more than 100 miles to get to UC Davis Health.

Video visits can save time, but in-person visits are preferred for asthma patients

From the group of 502 patients, the researchers randomly selected 12 parents of pediatric patients and five young adult patients to participate in an hour-long focus group session via videoconference. Three focus groups were held.

Focus group participants were asked to compare how providers interacted with patients via telemedicine and in person. Some of the common themes and findings were:

• Parents and patients said it was difficult to build trust with a new telemedicine provider.
• Parents felt that having a doctor present in person was more effective in advising pediatric patients on the importance of medications and teaching them about asthma.
• Parents felt that pediatric patients participated more actively during the in-person visit.
• Telemedicine visits were more likely to involve a physician rather than the entire care team. The parents preferred to talk to only one doctor.
• Telemedicine has allowed parents and patients to see their specialist without spending significant travel time. Parents have also valued telemedicine visits as a way to protect their children during the pandemic.
• While some parents were willing to take lung function measurements at home, many were not confident in their ability to use home monitoring equipment like peak flow meters and home spirometers.
• All participants who used telemedicine said that scheduling follow-up appointments was more difficult than in-person appointments.
• Almost all focus group participants agreed that a combination of telemedicine and in-person visits would be best when asthma is well controlled.

Improving access and ensuring equity

Families noted that while telemedicine improved their access to care, it did not completely replace in-person visits. Parents and patients still found face-to-face visits helpful, especially when meeting healthcare providers for the first time or when receiving asthma education or medication management information. Parents also preferred that providers take patient measurements during office visits, rather than training them to use the equipment at home.

“The study shows that alternating telemedicine and in-person visits for routine asthma care is the preferred mode of care for many parents,” said Sarah Haynes, lead author of the study and assistant professor of Pediatrics at UC Davis Health.”This option balances the added convenience of telemedicine visits, while ensuring children get the physical exams and measurements they need.”

The study also highlights an important opportunity to improve health equity by increasing access to telemedicine for families with asthma who speak a primary language other than English.

The study was funded by a Children’s Miracle Network grant to UC Davis.

Study co-authors were Shahabal Khan, Stephanie Crossen, Monica Lieng, James Marcin, Nicholas Kenyon and Christopher Kim of UC Davis Health. The study was a multidisciplinary collaboration between the UC Davis Center for Health and Technology, epidemiology, pediatric pulmonology, and general pediatrics at UC Davis Health.

Lately, there has been a trend of multilingual movies in which several Bollywood movies are eager to increase the viewership as the movies are often dubbed into Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. And now filmmakers are also heading to the Bengali market, it seems. According to a report in Mid Day, the makers of Maidaan, with Ajay Devgn in the lead, are also planning to release the film in Bengali as Kolkata is the hub of Indian football.

For the uninitiated, Maidaan happens to be a sports biopic based on the golden age of Indian football and it will star Ajay as football manager Syed Abdul Rahim who is considered the architect of modern Indian football . Speaking about the Bengali release, a source told Mid Day, “Football is gaining prominence in India today as a sport. Besides Goa, Kerala and Hyderabad, even West Bengal is passionate about football, especially among young people.To achieve a [wider] public, makers want to reach young people”. Well, if the reports turn out to be true, this would mark Ajay Devgn’s first multilingual project.

As of now, director Amit Sharma is eager to complete the patchwork of Maidaan, which is scheduled for release on June 3, 2022. the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta. As the COVID-19 situation improves, Amit [and his crew] will fly to Rome, Helsinki and Melbourne to shoot footage [depicting] international matches for the quilt,” the source added.

Warangal: It seems that the state government’s push for English language learning in public schools starting next school year is not so easy, but passable. The Hans India spoke to a cross section of people including teachers, parents and students to ask them about the government’s initiative.

In the wake of English being the widely used language in the corporate world, language has become one of the most important employability skills that no one opposes. Although the government’s decision to introduce legislation to introduce English as a language of instruction, it has to overcome initial setbacks, particularly with regard to the capacities of teaching staff who, on the whole, lack skills to teach in English.

Kakatiya University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Thatikonda Ramesh, said: “This is a well-considered decision by the state government. Infusing English from primary education will do students a lot of good. English should not become an obstacle to their career. . According to a study, more than 90% of young people who have completed their studies cannot speak English. As a result, a majority of students, despite their academic talent, flounder in their careers. Indeed, a bitter truth to digest. Prof Ramesh said any reform-minded decision will have its own set of issues before it is put into practice and the government will surely address them appropriately.

ZPHS government teacher, Kadipikonda under Kazipet mandal, BV Rajagopal, who welcomed the decision of the state government, said, “Changing the language of instruction to English is not so easy, however, with planning and appropriate implementation. Hopefully the government was thinking about these lines. . Above all, the state must tackle the language barrier of teachers. At least 90% of the teachers are from a Telugu background; therefore, they need training and orientation courses to improve their English skills. »

At the same time, the government should give preference to the mother tongue, Telugu, which shapes the development of a student’s personality, besides changing the thought process in him. In fact, the Kothari Commission also recommended regional/mother tongues as the first language, Rajagopal said.

“We are going in the right direction to help students, especially those who come from rural areas. A majority of parents prefer private schools that provide education in English. Although we have competent and dedicated teachers, people do not prefer not public schools just because they want their halls to be industry-ready, especially with communication skills,” said Manganuri Murali, Senior Photographer at Hanumakonda.

“Better late than never. Finally, the government has realized the importance of knowing English. This will solve the problem of communication skills faced by young people,” said A Damodar Reddy, an employee of the private sector.

The 31st Doha International Book Fair (DIBF) 2022 is seeing a good influx of visitors as the fair is a special opportunity for book lovers.

This year’s book fair is the largest compared to previous editions in terms of participation from countries and publishers as well as the availability of many important and rare books. The show will continue until January 22 at the Doha Exhibition & Convention Center (DECC).

The representatives of the various publishing houses expressed their satisfaction with the level of participation and the dynamics of sales since the average daily sale is around 30 books per kiosk and can increase according to the types of books and the publishing houses. .

The Qatari Forum for Authors launched a number of books on Sunday, including “Qatar-USA: A Half-Century Journey”, co-authored by prominent Qatari scholar, researcher and media personality Dr. Khalid Al Jaber, who is also a former editor. -Chief of the Peninsula and former US Ambassador, HE Patrick Nicholas Theros. The book, published in Washington DC, which contains 10 chapters and 232 pages, recounts the historic growth and development of relations between Qatar and the United States over the past decades.

Dr. Khalid Al Jaber, prominent Qatari scholar, researcher and media personality and co-author of the book Qatar-USA: A Half-Century Journey, at the launch of the book during an event at the Doha International Book Fair.

It refers to a comprehensive review of the various areas of cooperation and partnership in the political, defense, economic, educational, cultural and humanitarian fields between the two friendly countries. The book tells, in the first chapters, the first relations between Qatar and the United States, from the beginning of their formation during the period of 1934 until the launching of the diplomatic mission in Doha in 1972.

One of the important pavilions that received a large number of visitors, especially girls and young people, is the United States Embassy pavilion in the exhibition. It presents many titles including books on history. children’s books and language learning titles are also available.

‘Sons and Soldiers’, ‘Speak Business English Like an American’, ‘English Made Easy’, ‘8 Steps to Paying Less for College’ are some of the books on sale at the American Pavilion. “Watch us at this year’s Doha International Book Fair for a wide selection of novels and books in English! What’s your favorite novel?,” the Embassy tweeted.

“The turnout has been good from opening day until now. Every day we sell 20 to 30 books. We have a collection of children’s stories and games to develop the memory of children aged 15 and under,” said Ahmed, the representative of one of the Syrian pavilions selling children’s books and toys.

Ahmed also said that families place a high priority on children reading and buying books for them and that is a good thing.

Commenting on children’s books at the Fair, he noted, “Perhaps children’s books get more visitors than other books, as I noticed, followed by novels and the like, in addition to religious books. “

For his part, another representative from one of the Egyptian pavilions commented, “The novels are in high demand, and their price starts from QR 60…sales are good so far.”

Turkey’s Ambassador to Qatar, HE Dr. Mustafa Goksu also thanked the Ministry of Culture for organizing this exhibition despite the COVID-19 pandemic. “I congratulate all those who contributed to the success of this exhibition. It brought together all lovers of reading and books in one place.

The current edition of the exhibition is characterized by the wide participation of various state institutions, through the establishment of reading workshops and various cultural events, in addition to the participation of many cultural institutions that work to enrich the intellectual and cultural content of the exhibition, which encompasses all segments of society of different ages and languages.

The exhibition is experiencing a large influx of visitors from the Gulf, Arabs and foreigners.

With the participation of 37 countries and 430 publishing houses, the event is organized by the Ministry of Culture represented by the Qatar Cultural and Heritage Events Center, under the slogan “Knowledge is light”.

The Federal Government has applauded the commitment and dedication of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to enhance the development of digital skills among young people, through the implementation of various IT skills programs information and communication.

Home Minister Rauf Aregbesola and Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami bestowed the commendation at the inauguration of a Digital Nigeria Center (DNC), a project executed by Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), a branch of NCC, at Ijesa Muslim Grammar School, Ilesa, Osun State recently.

Representing President Muhamadu Buhari at the event, Aregbesola commended the NCC for the speedy and thorough implementation of the project, saying he was confident that the project will help connect public secondary schools to high-speed internet in the Ilesa community and will ultimately equip beneficiaries with 21st century skills. .

“I would like to thank my very good friend and brother, the Honorable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, for accepting our request to have the first of this project renovated in the Osun State located in Ilesa. I would also like to thank the Executive Vice President of NCC, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta and the entire management and staff of NCC and USPF and their technical partners for the prompt and successful completion of this laudable project,” he said. .

Alongside the go-live, Aregbesola also announced the establishment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s 100 million naira Technology Fund for Youth Empowerment to nurture the emergence of world-class technology experts. The Minister of Interior said that the Fund targets 2,000 young people in the next two years, who will be equipped with training devices in different fields such as software development and design, among others.

Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Babatunde Olawale, expressed the gratitude of the government of State to Federal Government, Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and Nigerian Government. Communications Commission, for his initiative and in particular for the inauguration of the pioneering remodeled DNC project in Osun State. Oyetola also informed the enthusiastic assembly that the Osun State government was willing and ready to work with NCC to replicate the project in other parts of the state.

Speaking in the same spirit, Pantami, who was represented at the event by the Chairman of the NCC Board of Commissioners, Prof. Adeolu Akande, also congratulated the NCC and the USPF for the achievement of the DNC project at the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. . He said the project and those similarly instituted were initiated by the government to realize its vision of effectively digitizing the country’s economy for increased prosperity for all Nigerians.

Pantami said the federal government is focused on promoting the digital economy across the country and this informed the renaming of the Department of Communications to the Department of Communications and Digital Economy. In the aftermath of the rechristening, Pantami recalled that the Federal Government had put in place Digital Nigeria Focused Policies to strengthen the direction of existing policies to accelerate the delivery of the derivable benefits of the digital economy to Nigerians, whatever whatever their location and situation.

At the heart of these policies is the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030, a 10-year, eight-pillar blueprint to refresh the federal government’s digital economy agenda unveiled in November. 2019.

Pantami affirmed that the DNC inaugurated in Ilesa was a concrete implementation of digital literacy and skills, the second pillar of the NDEPS.

According to Pantami, the overarching goal of the DNC project is to facilitate the adoption of the digital lifestyle in schools as well as in school communities. The Minister affirmed that the importance of the project cannot be underestimated, given its ability to improve the digital skills of young people and then make them globally competitive.

Pantami said the Nigerian government is committed to equipping young people with digital skills, strong literacy and numeracy skills, critical and innovative thinking skills, complex problem solving skills, the ability to collaborate and deploy socio-emotional skills, which they need to transform their lives. lives and build the economy.

“We have already made a number of giant strides in developing our digital economy culture and the rollout of initiatives such as the Digital Nigeria Center eloquently demonstrates the current administration’s commitment to connecting all Nigerians. “, said Pantami, also expressing the commitment of the federal government. to its tripartite agenda of improving the economy, fighting corruption and enhancing national security through the effective deployment of ICTs in every nook and corner of the country.

In his remarks, Danbatta, who was represented at the event by the Commission’s Director of Projects, Iyabode Solanke, stated all the regulatory activities, initiatives and programs that the Commission has undertaken since 2019, in collaboration with its key stakeholders. , including its arm, the USPF, aim to realize Nigeria’s deliberate policy of migrating to a fully digital economy.

He said the Commission achieves this by systematically committing to developing the right infrastructure to improve digital literacy and skills given the economic and social impact of digitalisation on all sectors.

The Director General of the NCC reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to the overall objective of bridging the digital divide through the provision of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as well as access to broadband to unserved and underserved institutions and communities across the country.

Earlier, the Principal of Ijesa Muslim High School, Ramota Ilesanmi, thanked the federal government led by President Buhari for the project, saying it will go a long way towards meeting the ICT needs of students and residents of the city.

The DNC, formerly known as the School Knowledge Center (SKC), is one of the projects in the USPF Access Program Framework, conceptualized to promote the availability and use of ICT and learning resources. Internet in teaching and learning in public schools in underserved areas. , unserved and rural areas.

The specific objectives of the DNC are to increase ICT literacy among teachers and students; provide a platform for accessing online educational resources; equip students with ICT skills; facilitate the adoption of ICT in teaching and learning; as well as increasing the pass rate in math, English and other science subjects.

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