BENIN CITY – Edo State Governor Mr. Godwin Obaseki has made education one of his major cardinal objectives, focus and goal of his administration since he assumed leadership of the state on 12th November 2016.
Recognising that education is an important tools to face challenges in the future, he re-organised the State University Basic Education Board (SUBEB), putting it in the right footing to run with his vision to attain world class standard.
Governor Godwin Obaseki in 2018, launched Edo Best Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST), a wholistic basic education reform programme to address learning gaps and deficiencies identified in the school system. Since inception. The programme has been hailed as a workable, effective and sustainable template for basic education service delivery reform.
Following the success of the programme in the state many States in Nigeria, including Lagos, have launched similar reform programmes mirroring EdoBEST while other countries have also visited the state to under study the programme.
In November 2021, the Executive Chairmen of all 37 State SUBEBs and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the management of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) met in Benin City and an understudy of the EdoBEST programme resulted in glowing endorsements and unanimous calls for a nation-wide implementation of similar technology-backed education reforms.
The exit of former SUBEB Chairman Joan Osa-Oviawe and the entrance of a new Executive Chairman Edo SUBEB Mrs. Ozavize Salami has not stop more developmental gains of the programme as more grounds have been covered for the advancement of EdoBEST to the benefits of every Edo child.
Holding up to the vision of Mr. Governor Mrs Salami created more platform for more teachers to undergo professional development as EdoBEST penetrates hard-to-reach areas in Edo State.
The SUBEB Chairman believed that the professional development for teachers in Edo State is necessary to boost the capacity of Edo State’s teaching corps and further spread the gains of EdoBEST.
Determined to tread the path of developing, the EdoSUBEB has commenced the training of over 2,000 primary and secondary school teachers to further drive the gains of EdoBEST to the grassroots.
Additionally, 109 newly employed Learning and Development Officers and 26 Quality Assurance Officers are also being trained to strengthen the school supervisory system.
The professional development training, which is ongoing in Benin City the Edo State Capital is designed to provide qualified teachers and field officers for more communities in rural and hard-to-reach areas in Edo State.
Salami said “This training will enable more of our esteemed pupils and students get the full benefits of EdoBEST as it brings junior secondary schools and more primary schools under the EdoBEST reform umbrella. We are paying particular attention to teachers and field officers from remote and hard-to-reach areas”.
Selected teachers, most of whom were engaged by the Edo State Government through the EdoSTAR Initiative, are being trained on better classroom management techniques, modern methods of child protection and safety, new methods of motivating pupils to learn, as well as strategies for delivering lessons using technology.
Each batch of trainees will receive training over a ten-day period. At the end of the process, teachers will be better prepared to deliver on the demands of the 21st Century learning environment.
“His Excellency Governor Godwin Obaseki is committed to spreading the gains of EdoBEST to every corner of our state. This is the motivation behind this training. We are doing this to ensure that all our schools have adequate number of up skilled teachers and every child is learning,” Mrs. Salami added.
Source: The Nigerian Observer