Teachers stuck in analogue mode hinder digital education drive

Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by his commissioner for education, Folashade Adefisayo, said the government would send teachers in the state on digital skill training in the United States of America.

Teachers who are stuck in the old ways are stalling the nation’s digital education drive, hindering the preparation of young people for future jobs.

Education experts say such teachers’ limited digital skills can hinder the nation’s quest to effectively integrate technology into the classroom, resulting in poor student engagement and academic performance.

The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) recently reported that about 32.38 percent of candidates who sat the Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) failed due to poor digital literacy skills.

Similarly, in 2024, Enugu State government conducted a computer-based test (CBT) for the recruitment of teachers into the state’s Smart Green Schools, and only about 25 percent of the 17,620 candidates passed.

These poor results depict poor digital skills of teachers in Nigeria as the federal government insists on CBT examinations for public examinations.

According to the Universal Basic Education Commission, 50 percent of Nigeria’s public schools lack digital facilities, with only 36 percent of the population using the internet and 78 percent of youngsters lacking digital literacy skills.

Read also: TRCN: Low digital literacy attributed to 4,169 teachers’ exam failure

Challenges

Nubi Achebo, director of academic planning at the Nigerian University of Technology and Management (NUTM), said the directive to adopt CBT for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations by 2026 is not feasible, given the current state of digital literacy among teachers and infrastructure in schools.

“Many schools lack the necessary digital facilities to support CBT exams. WAEC and NECO plan to partner with designated centres to address this issue.

“With teachers struggling to demonstrate digital skills, it’s uncertain whether they can effectively transfer these skills to students,” he said.

Jessica Osuere, chief executive officer at RubbiesHub Educational Services, frowned at the directive, insisting education is not a cheap venture.

Osuere emphasised that getting teachers trained and re-trained is a major prerequisite for becoming a teacher.

“The government is not ready to spend on their teachers in the public schools, while most private schools are all out for profit and would not want to spend anything extra on training their teachers.

“This creates a widening gap between students in well-equipped urban schools and those in less privileged environments,” she said.

Isaiah Ogundele, an educator, emphasised that the digital skill should be compulsory for all teachers as they cannot impact students if they do not have the skills.

To achieve the digitalisation goal, he said, “there should be digital laboratories and equipment in all the rural and urban schools. There must be constant electricity supply and/or alternative sources of power, such as solar, must be put in place.”

Potential impact on students

Achebo emphasised that students without access to digital facilities or adequate digital literacy training will be disadvantaged, potentially leading to poor performance and increased examination malpractice.

“Some students might be excluded from participating in CBT exams due to limited access to technology, particularly those in rural or underserved areas,” he noted.

Right approach

Achebo advised that the government should introduce CBT exams step by step, starting with pilot programmes, to identify and address challenges.

He reiterated the need for teacher training, which he said would enhance educators’ and students’ digital skills.

“Provide comprehensive training for teachers to enhance their digital literacy skills and ensure they can effectively support students.

“Invest in digital infrastructure, including CBT centres and internet connectivity, to support the transition,” he stressed.

Similarly, Osuere said, “When teachers are not digitally literate, they cannot adequately prepare students for CBT.

“Many schools, especially in rural and underserved areas, lack the basic infrastructure like computers, reliable power, and internet access, which are needed to support digital learning.”

To address these challenges, she said there is a need for a nationwide upskilling initiative to train teachers in digital literacy and pedagogy. “Digital education must also be integrated into teacher training curricula,” she stressed.

Osuere emphasised that while the CBT is a progressive step, it must be matched with strategic investments in teacher capacity and school infrastructure to avoid setting up both teachers and students for failure.

Ogundele doesn’t believe the government is ready to commence the CBT examinations in 2026 across the board, considering the facilities in place.

“The government might have their set time, just pushing for people not to rest on their oars because we Africans don’t like change.

“The government needs to provide a kind of refresher course and make it compulsory with a set time for every teacher in Nigeria to attend,” he said.

Charles Ogwo

Charles Ogwo, Head, Education Desk at BusinessDay Media is a seasoned proactive journalist with over a decade of reportage experience.