Bayelsa Education Trust Fund kicks off robotics challenge for schools

The Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund on Tuesday commenced a 60- day Robotics Challenge among secondary schools across the eight local government areas of the state.

Coding is an essential set of instructions that a robot can read and execute. Robotics combines the use of electronics, mechanics, and coding software to programme robots to do particular jobs.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Gentle Emelah, Commissioner for Education, said the state had been investing in technology across levels of education.

According to him, the robotics and coding challenge is part of the plans to deepen technology and innovation among the youth.

Emelah revealed that the state had fully integrated digital learning platforms for all public primary schools in four of the eight local government areas in Bayelsa.

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In her remarks, Dr Alice Atuwo, Executive Secretary of the fund, recalled that robotics and coding was introduced in 2022 to 13 selected Model Secondary schools.

Atuwo said that 103 students participated in the holiday training that lasted for 30 days.

She said that the fund had fully equipped the model secondary schools with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) gadgets.

Atuwo, said all the model secondary schools received monthly support of N50,000 to provide internet connection, consumables and minor maintainable to keep the robotics programmes running.

“The robotics and coding programme is a component of the Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) policy that the fund is promoting in Bayelsa to make our students ready for the future.

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“For those who may ask the question, why robotics, The answer is why not robotics.

“Robotics brings abstract knowledge to realities and our children can understand how robots can be deployed to accomplish tasks and provide solutions to everyday challenges,” Atuwo said.

She explained that the students would undergo trainings in robotics and coding, build and programme their robots to tackle issues of climate change.

Also speaking, Prof Francis Sikoki, Chairman of the Trust’s Board, said that technology skills in areas like robotics was essential in today’s digital world driven by knowledge and innovation.

He said that the educational development trust was toward ensuring the provision of science labour stories in all secondary schools in the state.

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Also, Mrs Stellar Uzochukwu, a representative of Odyssey Educational Foundation, facilitators of the Bayelsa 2024 Robotics Challenge, auded Bayelsa government for supporting the programme.

She said that the programme would enable the youths to leverage on the knowledge acquire in coding and robotics to tackle the challenges posed by climate change in the state.(NAN)