Wife of the Olu of Warri, Olori Ivie Atuwatse III, has urged Nigeria to adopt Finland’s education model, particularly its play-based learning approach. She said this would boost learning outcomes and make education more engaging for students.

According to her, the Finnish system offers valuable lessons in ways the country can combine infrastructure, pedagogy, and child-friendly environments to enhance how students learn and retain knowledge.

Olori Atuwatse III stated this at the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) Academy’s special school building fundraising event in Abuja. At the event, the management of the academy disclosed that it has completed phase one of the project with a FIFA-standard football pitch having a 400-metre athletics track, and a 1000 seat pavilion with locker rooms and a wellness centre.

Olori Atuwatse III also called on the government and other education stakeholders to prioritise the creation of conducive learning environments and modernise school curricula to improve the quality of education in Nigeria.

She stated that children spend an average of about 80 per cent of their time in school, stressing that it was important that parents become aware that the environment is critical to learning.

She said: “I visited Finland about two years ago and they have play-based learning. Oftentimes, the way that our children approach learning is one that is very boxed and very limiting. And so their ability to enjoy what they’re learning is diminished. And so with that, their ability to receive what they’re learning is also diminished.

“When we inculcate and infiltrate play with learning, you would see that once they are enjoying what they are learning, then they can receive what they are learning a lot more. CTL actually does that a lot. We’ve come to see that the curriculum is not very different from any normal curriculum in Nigeria.

“However, what they do is that they infuse play-based learning into their learning styles or their teaching styles so that the children receive it a lot more and they’re able to retain the knowledge of what is being taught in school.”

She stated that both infrastructure and curriculum reforms are vital to shaping better learning outcomes for Nigerian children. She added: “Infrastructure of a school is not just about going to a school; it’s about the environment that they learn that will enhance learning outcomes. I’ve come to see that firsthand with things that we do in Warri.

“The STEM lab that we created right in the middle of a slum in Warri had to be state-of-the-art. We ensured that we flew in the best laptops, the best gadgets, and also created an amiable environment so that the children knew that they were comfortable. There’s something that visiting a place or being in a nice area does to a person.

“I’m sure that you know that if you are in a place that is not very conducive, the ability for you to focus and learn will be impeded. And so the same goes for children. They’re human beings too.

“It’s important that we focus on creating classrooms that are learning and education friendly, that will enhance learning outcomes for our children.

Also, the same goes with curriculum. It’s not just about learning anything; it’s about what you learn and how it’s taught.” She noted that one of the key challenges in achieving better learning outcomes is not just the content of the curriculum, but the way it is taught. Olori Atuwatse III urged the government, educators, and parents to work together in reshaping the education system to produce better outcomes.