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There is a need for secondary school students to leverage technology to achieve success in the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, advised Gbenga Ogunleye, a seasoned management, marketing and education sector professional.
Ogunleye, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Toga Royal Nigeria Limited, made the appeal on Wednesday at a seminar organized by LABASCO Old Students Association for students of Lagos Baptist Senior Secondary School, Orile Agege, Lagos.
The event, which had the 1984 LABASCO Old Students Association President, Mr. Benjamin Akindele Ojo, as its coordinator, was the second in a series and designed to prepare Senior Secondary 3 students for WASSCE.
Ogunleye, a guest speaker, spoke on the topic “Using Technology the Right Way to Pass WASSCE”.
He stressed that success in the final year exam rests with students who combine hard work with intelligent use of technology.
He said that although almost all secondary school students have access to smartphones, they have not used technology wisely as they have focused more on social media content which is not helpful to their success in exams.
He said that instead of accessing previous questions and other learning materials, they used smartphones for other things, thus causing distraction.
Urging them to use it to practice past questions daily, understand difficult concepts and identify learning weaknesses early, he warned that technology amplifies discipline, but does not replace it.
His words: “Today, exam success is no longer determined only by classroom teaching or hours spent reading. Around the world, results are increasingly influenced by access to digital learning tools, intelligent review systems and technology-supported teaching methods.
“The central question is no longer whether students should use technology. The real question is: are we using technology strategically enough to improve learning outcomes?”
The guest speaker urged students to combine hard work with the intelligent use of technology represented by their smartphones to achieve success in exams.
Ogunleye also spoke about the need for governments, parents and communities to provide the necessary support for student success.
“If the government provides the infrastructure, educators provide the tutoring, parents provide the discipline, and communities provide the support, then excellence in exams will become predictable and not random.
“Let us commit today to building not just smart classrooms, but smart students prepared for exams, innovation and leadership,” he said.
The event, which was well attended by parents, staff and old students, was presided over by the Chairman of Orile Agege Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Mr. Akinola Abiodun Idowu.
The LCDA boss, on the occasion, announced plans of his administration to build a computerized testing center in Lagos Baptist Senior Secondary School, Orile Agege, Lagos, by next year.
According to him, the plant will have a minimum capacity of 250 systems and will be equipped with the Internet.
The organizers enjoyed the support of the school principal, Mrs. Modupe Shofela, teachers and non-teaching staff of the school.
The seminar with the theme “Empowering Minds for a Transformed Future: The Legacy of Learning and Leadership”, featured presentation of papers by several resource persons who are old students of the school.
The first speaker, Muhammad Quieyaz Adebayo, spoke on the topic “Beyond WAEC: The Character That Secures Your Future”; the second resource person, Mr. Yinka Sonuga, spoke about “Exam Integrity: Choosing the Right Path”; the third resource person, Mrs. Funsho Fakorede, spoke on “The Influence of Parents and Guardians on WAEC Success” while the fourth resource person, Mr. Ademola Abiodun, spoke on “Peer Review, Not Peer Distraction: The Smart Path to WAEC Success”.
The master of the ceremony was an old student and renowned medical doctor, Dr. Aina Olufemi Odusola, while renowned journalist, publisher of FrontPage, a leading online newspaper, Mr. Sakibu Olokojobi, delivered the vote of thanks on the occasion.
