(Last Updated On: June 8, 2011)

The campaign for information and communication literacy in the Polytechnic has reached the Polytechnic’s Secondary and Primary school teachers.

At a three day workshop for the teachers, the Rector, Dr. (Mrs.) P. O. Idogho, told them that literacy is now beyond ability to read and to write.

“It is now known that the ability to read and to write is not all that define literacy in this age. To real and to write are basic to it, but to be computer proficient is now to be literate in the real sense of the word,” the rector said.

Just as reading and writing are best taught in Schools, so computer literacy proficiency is, the Rector said, noting that the best age to teach computer usage is its introduction at the Primary and Secondary School levels.

She said that it is the vision of the Management to make all staff and students computer literate noting that computer literacy level has risen from 5% in 2008 to 80% in the Polytechnic.

Dr. (Mrs. Idogho told the teachers that they have a significant role to play in introducing and generating the interest of our pupils and students in the use of computers.

“The future of the young ones under your care today is a future of an economy, an educational system and a social relationship driven by computer application and use. If we do not offer them an opportunity to know the use of computer early, we would have done a disservice to them,” the Rector said.

Dr. (Mrs.) Idogho announced that the Polytechnic is thinking of the modalities of making one laptop available to each pupil.

“Though this policy is yet at the incubation stage, our thinking is that it is possible, through the PTA to work out an arrangement that will enable bulk purchase of laptops with a reputable computer firm so that the idea of one pupil, one lap top can become a reality the Rector concluded.