Parents Urged To Support AI Learning As Oyo Students Excel In Darsel Maths Programme

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IBADAN – Parents have been urged to embrace artificial intelligence-powered learning tools and grant their children supervised access to mobile phones for academic purposes, following impressive results recorded by Oyo State students in the Darsel “Learn by Testing” mathematics pilot programme.

The appeal was made at the 2025/2026 Darsel State Award Programme organised by Sapphire Exploits 21st Century Skills Consulting Limited at Lagelu Grammar School, Agugu, Ibadan, where outstanding students, teachers and schools were honoured for performance on the AI-powered platform.

Founder of Sapphire Exploits and Country Implementation Partner for Darsel in Nigeria, Mrs. Wunmi Tolu-Alalade, said the initiative showed that technology could significantly improve mathematics learning when properly utilised.

She disclosed that 24 participating public schools attempted 157,659 mathematics questions and recorded 116,438 correct answers during the 2025/2026 academic session, describing the outcome as promising for the pilot phase.

According to her, the programme encourages students to practise mathematics independently through an AI-powered chatbot accessible via WhatsApp, to strengthen their analytical and problem-solving skills beyond the classroom.

She noted that the awards recognised the best-performing schools after about nine months of active participation.

Ode Aje Ajibola High School, Aremo, emerged overall best-performing school. Christ The King Secondary School, Agugu, and Ratibi College, Oluyoro, Oke-Offa, finished second and third respectively.

Queen of Apostle Junior, Oluyoro, received the Resilience Award after its students recorded 17,538 correct answers, over 15 per cent of all correct answers logged during the pilot.

“We are celebrating schools and students that remained active on the platform throughout the academic session. These Mathematics Champions consistently distinguished themselves over the past eight to nine months through regular practice and excellent performance,” she said.

Tolu-Alalade appealed to parents, teachers, school administrators and the Oyo State Ministry of Education to encourage students to devote at least 15 minutes daily to practising mathematics on the platform.

“The phone is not meant for Facebook or TikTok in this case. It is for learning. Fifteen minutes every day is all we are asking. Parents should supervise their children and allow them to use the technology to improve their academic performance,” she said.

She explained that the chatbot consumes very little data because it operates like WhatsApp messaging, making it affordable for families.

She added that the organisation is exploring partnerships with telecom providers to enable students without smartphones to access the platform via text messaging on basic phones.

Tolu-Alalade said mathematics was chosen deliberately because many students develop anxiety towards the subject, stressing that consistent practice remains the best way to build confidence and mastery.

“Mathematics is the foundation of science and technology. The more students practise, the better they become. We have seen learners who initially struggled in mathematics develop confidence and significantly improve their performance through the platform,” she added.

Representing the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Olusegun Olayiwola, the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Bamidele Oyinloye, described mathematics as the bedrock of science, engineering, innovation and national development.

She commended Sapphire Exploits for complementing government efforts in education through innovation, adding that programmes that reward excellence encourage students to strive for greater academic achievement.

“The award programme recognises dedication, creativity and excellence in mathematics. Such initiatives complement government’s efforts in human capital development and nation-building,” she said.

Also speaking, President of the St. Louis Old Girls Association, Ibadan Chapter, Mrs. Eniola Oyedele, said she facilitated the introduction of the Darsel programme to Oyo State after witnessing its success in Lagos.

“My first degree is in Mathematics from the University of Ibadan. When I saw the programme in Lagos, I knew students in Oyo State deserved the same opportunity. We worked with the Ministry of Education to bring the pilot here,” she said.

Oyedele said public schools were deliberately selected because many private schools already have access to digital learning resources, while public school students often lack similar opportunities.

She urged parents to view smartphones as educational tools rather than devices for entertainment.

“Technology is the future. The important thing is proper guidance. Children should be encouraged to use AI and digital platforms for learning because these are the skills they will require in tomorrow’s world,” she said.