Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has said artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies should be viewed as tools for enhancing the effectiveness of teachers rather than as threats to their jobs.
Mbah stated this on Tuesday while speaking at the 59th National Conference of Delegates of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), held in Enugu.
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The governor, who welcomed delegates to Enugu, said the theme of the conference, “Deployment of Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Education Will Erode the Place of Teachers in the Classroom: Myth or Reality?”, was timely, given the rapid transformation brought about by AI.
He said there was no justification for resisting AI, noting that its growing influence on society was comparable to the impact of the steam engine during the era of Industrial Revolution.
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According to him, rather than approach technology as an instrument that would take away jobs, it should be deployed as a tool for improving productivity, innovation and effectiveness in the education sector.
Mbah said, “AI can assist the teacher. It can personalise learning, support lesson preparation, identify learning gaps and expand access to knowledge.
“But it cannot replace the human qualities that make a teacher a teacher – the ability to inspire, to mentor, to understand a child’s individual circumstances, to build character and to kindle ambition.
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“The future is therefore not teacher versus technology. The future is teacher with technology.”
The governor stressed the need for appropriate safeguards to ensure that the deployment of AI in education was ethical and beneficial to both teachers and learners.
He identified ethical standards, data protection, responsible regulation and continuous capacity-building for teachers as critical measures that must accompany the adoption of artificial intelligence in the education system.
Mbah said teachers should not become victims of the technological revolution, but should instead be positioned as “principal beneficiaries and drivers” of the transformation.
He added that with the necessary safeguards and capacity-building, concerns surrounding AI would gradually give way to informed confidence and responsible adoption.
Speaking on his administration’s education policies, the governor said his government had, from inception, treated education as a transformative instrument rather than a routine government function.
He said the administration had, in the last 40 months, invested significantly in school infrastructure, technology, curriculum innovation, as well as teachers’ capacity and welfare.
Mbah said the state government’s commitment to addressing teacher shortages was reflected in the recruitment of 6,850 teachers and other education personnel, adding that the measure was aimed at improving the student-teacher ratio towards accepted global benchmarks.
He further disclosed that education had consistently received 33 per cent of the state’s total budget across three budget cycles under his government.
According to him, the figure was above the 15 to 20 per cent benchmark recommended by UNESCO.
The governor also cited the establishment of fully equipped, technology-driven Smart Green Schools across the state’s 260 wards as part of the administration’s efforts to prepare children for the demands of the future.
Mbah said the investments were anchored on the conviction that a world-class education system could not be built without a well-equipped and motivated teaching workforce.
He commended the Governor of Kebbi State, Mohammed Nasir Idris, for his contribution to the teaching profession as a teacher, leader and unionist, saying his presence at the conference demonstrated his commitment to education and human capital development.
The governor also commended the NUT National Executive Council for convening the conference, as well as the Registrar of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, Dr Ronke Shoyombo, and her management team for their efforts towards restoring dignity, pride and professionalism to the teaching profession.
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