An education expert, Bisong Busaosawo, says the continuous use of screens for teaching adversely affects the sight of children between the ages of three and seven.

Busaosawo disclosed this during the launch of a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Learningsphere, in Enugu on Friday.

Busaosawo, the Executive Director of Busaosawo Foundation, Enugu, said that while innovation and digital learning were important, they posed challenges to young people as continuous use of screens for teaching had the adverse effect of short sightedness.

The expert lauded the Enugu State Green Smart School initiative but noted that transformative education would not succeed without addressing teachers' welfare.

He observed that teachers’ welfare in the state was a mirage in both the public and private schools, revealing that frustrated teachers would give rise to the production of poor students.

He noted that teachers were underpaid in the country and intimidated by school owners.

The executive director advocated for continuous training of teachers in the state to boost teaching and learning.

Dr Obiageli Nnamani of the Department of Literature and English, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), added there was a strong correlation between teacher quality and student achievement.

Nnamani stressed that teachers influenced students' performances in the class.

She emphasised the need to train and retrain teachers in the state for better student performance.

On her part, the Acting Principal of Lady Ibiam Girls’ Secondary School, Enugu, Mrs Livina Njoku, decried that most published books did not meet the required standard before being circulated in markets.

According to her, many published books contained grammatical errors and incorrect spellings, yet they were sold to students.

“I have read books published by authors and wonder what students will become in society after reading those books.

“In those days, we didn’t find errors in novels, but today, most novels in circulation have errors and also have two people writing one of them,” she said.

She further decried the proliferation of subjects in secondary schools, especially in Senior Secondary School (SS1), which offered 21 interwoven subjects that could be merged into one.

“For instance, Civic Education, Social Studies and Government are saying the same thing,” she observed.

Responding, Dr Nwakaego Ajah, the Permanent Board Member of the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board, said the NGO's vision aligned with Gov. Peter Mbah’s administration's efforts to transform education in the state.

She said the organisation was only amplifying the state government's work in its Smart Green Schools project across the state's 260 political wards.

Ajah said, “I am excited because many people have listened to what His Excellency is doing in the education sector in Enugu, and the smart schools have qualified teachers.”

She explained that using technology and digital learning enhances learning and teaching, stressing that it is about teaching children to use screens and helping them acquire critical skills.

“We are promoting a child-centred-friendly environment for learning, and our smart School teachers have been in training.

“I am appealing to parents to engage their children on board and monitor their performances through social and emotional engagement with the students.

“We are engaged in formative tests where students are given assignments on every topic taught within the week to discourage exam malpractices,” Ajah said.

Earlier, the Executive Director of Learningsphere, Uche Gabriel, said the NGO was launched to empower teachers with communication and other essential skills to enhance learning outcomes and create engaging, dynamic classrooms where students thrive.

He said they created an organisation to bridge a gap given the decline in education and moral decadence among students, adding that other sectors would suffer if education were not improved.

“We will partner with government, Schools, and individuals to train teachers and students to make learning easier.

“We are already training some teachers, and I am hoping that the government will address some of the issues we are raising,” Gabriel said.