The Rivers State Ministry of Education has finalised plans to launch live digital audio-visual academic learning programmes for secondary school students in junior secondary school three (JSS3) and senior secondary school three (SS3) across the state.
Releasing the programme schedule in his office in Port Harcourt, yesterday, the state Commissioner for Education, Prof Kaniye Ebeku, the initiative was designed to engage candidates for the Senior School Certificate and Junior School Certificate exams via television and radio ahead their exams deferred by the sit-at-home over Coronavirus.
Ebeku explained that the programme, which kicks-off, today, on Radio Rivers FM 99.1, Garden City FM 89.9, and RSTV UHF 22, was articulated by the Rivers State Ministry of Education in collaboration with the ICT Department of the Governor’s Office and BrainFriend Solutions, and planned to last for an initial three months’ period.
While unveiling the programme to newsmen in Port Harcourt, yesterday, Ebeku said, “Coronavirus disease has forced a lockdown across the world, our country is not an exception. As we know, as part of measures to control this deadly disease, schools have been closed, and it would appear that the Coronavirus disease is beginning to impact on the economy and the lives of people apart from causing mammoth deaths. We are determined to defeat this enemy.
“We think as a ministry, we should work to ensure that our children’s future is not compromised because of the lockdown and the closure of schools. As a result of this thinking, the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the ICT Department of the Governor’s Office and BrainFriend Solutions is anchoring a digital learning programme on Radio and Television, where our students in SS3 and JSS3 will be taught some important subjects on a schedule that will be contained in a Press Release that I have issued to the Radio and Television stations.
“I would like to urge all students, parents and guardians of these students to take advantage of the programme. The reason why the learning programme is limited to JSS3 and SS3 students is because these are the critical classes and the students in these classes will be taking terminal examinations. I am talking about WAEC and NECO for the Senior Secondary, and of course, also the Basic Examination Certificate (BECE) for the Junior Secondary School.
“We are taking the teachers from our schools, both Junior and Secondary schools, and working in collaboration with the BrainFriend Solutions; we are providing the learning and teaching that will meet the requirements of our students.
“A lot of subjects have been discussed and agreed upon in the meeting held with relevant stakeholders, including teachers and all the important subjects will be aired at the appropriate time.
“We are going to start this programme on Thursday, April 2, 2020, and run through a pilot scheme between Thursday and Saturday, and we will have a period of feedback from the public.
“We propose that this programme will run for an initial period of three months, and thereafter, based on the thinking we had at the meeting held to anchor this programme, we think that this should be a continuous programme that should be running well beyond the Coronavirus pandemic period,” Ebeku added.
A statement signed by the commissioner, indicating the programme schedule, emphasised that the government took the initiative to assist the candidates who will be facing terminal examinations to remain in good form during the period of the lockdown and school closure as part of measures to contain the spread of the novel Coronavirus pandemic.
The statement reads, “This is to inform the general public, particularly parents and guardians and secondary school students in JSS3 and SS3, that the Rivers State Ministry of Education in collaboration with the ICT Department of the Governor’s Office and BrainFriend Solutions will be hosting digital learning programme called ‘Stay Safe Continue Learning Programme’ on state-owned Radio and Television stations starting from Thursday, April 2, 2020.
“The programme is designed to last for an initial period of three months, with the trial programme commencing from Thursday, April 2, 2020 and ending on Saturday, April 4, 2020.
“This special programme is designed to assist the candidates who will be facing terminal examinations to remain in good form during the period of lockdown and school closure as part of measures to contain the spread of the deadly corona virus disease.
“The programme schedule for the morning hours is as follows: Radio Rivers FM 99.1 (9am – 10am), Garden City FM 89.9 (10am – 11am), and RSTV UHF 22 (11am – 12noon)”, while that of afternoon hours is “Radio Rivers FM 99.1 (3pm – 4pm), Garden City FM 89.9 (4pm – 5pm), and RSTV UHF 22 (4pm – 5pm).
“Parents and guardians and students are advised to take advantage of this programme”, the statement added.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana