The Federal Government has revoked the contract of the company handling the construction work for its smart school infrastructure in Kebbi State and currently in the process of revoking interact of the company handling the project in Bayelsa State, over delay in delivering the project as scheduled.

The Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu made the disclosure while taking a tour of the FCT Smart School in Karshi, together with the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman and management of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) on Tuesday in Abuja.

Sununu who noted that the contracts have been re-awarded to another contractor, stressed that no state would be left behind in the smart school application of technology in education.

He said: “The two schools that are lagging behind; that of Kebbi State has been revoked and awarded to another contractor, and Bayelsa is also undergoing due process to revoke the contract and be rewarded so that no state will be left behind in the smart school application of technology in education.”

The minister while decrying the failure of some states whose smart schools have been completed and handed over to supply the federal government with 75 teachers to be trained on how to run the schools, urged sate governments to emulate the FCT administration which was already providing roads and hostel accommodation to expand the scope of the smart school in its domain with a full complement of staff.

Sununu also called on traditional rulers and residents of Karshi, to provide adequate security for the facilities as they are the primary beneficiaries of their services before other Nigerians.

Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, said Nigeria’s education system was currently directed towards technology-enhanced learning to help nurture the thinking and creativity of the students.

“This is the type of institution we aspire to have in the country that integrates personal learning and takes technology right from the beginning and makes learning interactive for toddlers; learners taking from the foundation and from there to build up to university level.

“It will help to nurture their thinking and creativity. So this is the direction our education is going,” he said.

Mamman who reiterated government’s plan to establish one smart school in each state of the federation, 26 have been constructed and construction work ongoing in the remaining states.

“This is part of the legacy this government is delivering to Nigerians which is to make provision for a digitalised school system for pupils to be trained in the use of technology right from kindergarten to basic and junior secondary school.

Mamman explained that the smart schools would combine conventional and vocational aspects of education so that at completion, the students would have skills that could help them in life.

On security of the facility located in the outskirts of Karshi, the minister said government aware of security challenges in the country, has put together elaborate security arrangements for all of the smart schools across the country, through the engagement of armed and unarmed security guards and partnership with host communities to give the schools all the necessary security.

“Apart from strengthening the economy of Karshi, it’s a learning centre set up for training of teachers and other people within the Karshi area. So there’s this sense of ownership by the community which will help a lot in synergising in many fronts.

“On ground already we have armed policemen and we are expecting armed civil defence personnel. Besides, we also have vigilantes from the community and we have some programmes we are working on to ensure that this school is perfectly secured. We are in collaboration with the community as far as the security of this school is concerned.”

The minister further disclosed that over 11,000 Almajiris as at the last count in the FCT, would be enrolled in different schools across the country by September.

The Smart School project was initiated and funded by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in collaboration with Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), to increase the capacity of teachers in the development and use of ICT content and to improve the access of teachers and pupils to quality teaching and learning materials.