NUT opposes King’s College concession, calls for suspension of handover plan

Mbah defends Enugu’s education investment

Declaring the conference open, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah said his administration had prioritised education as a driver of transformation in the state.

Mbah disclosed that education had received more than 33 per cent of the state’s total budget across three budget cycles, exceeding the 15 to 20 per cent allocation benchmark cited by UNESCO.

He also pointed to the recruitment of 6,850 teachers and other education personnel as evidence of the government’s commitment to strengthening the sector.

According to the governor, the Smart Green Schools being established across the state’s 260 wards are designed to provide pupils with technology-enabled learning environments and prepare them for future demands.

Addressing the conference theme, “Deployment of Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Education Will Erode the Place of Teachers in the Classroom: Myth or Reality?”, Mbah urged educators to view technology and artificial intelligence as tools that can support teaching rather than automatically threaten teachers’ jobs.

He said AI could help personalise learning, assist with lesson preparation, identify students’ learning gaps and widen access to educational resources. However, he stressed that technology could not replicate the human qualities teachers bring to the classroom, including mentorship, inspiration, character development and an understanding of individual pupils’ circumstances.

“The future is therefore not teacher versus technology. The future is teacher with technology,” he said.

In his welcome address, the Chairman of the NUT Enugu State Wing, Theophilus Odo, described the conference as an opportunity for teachers to reflect on their work, develop strategies and renew their collective commitment to the profession.

He urged delegates to use the gathering to consider practical and innovative responses to the challenges facing education.