Int’l Day of Education: Obaseki harps on ICT use, stakeholder engagement in reforms to drive sustainable devt

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has called for the deployment of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) and robust stakeholder engagement in education reforms to guarantee a solid educational base for sustainable development.

The governor made the submission in commemoration of the maiden International Day of Education, marked by the United Nations (UN), on January 24.

He argued that equitable access to robust basic education for children is a right which offers them opportunities to contribute meaningfully to societal growth and sustainable development.

According to him, “The implementation of the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (BEST) programme has shown us how this can be done and what the likely results are. So, we have a plan to strategically provide equal access to quality education to children across the state.”

He added: “In addition to training of teachers to use modern teaching methods and gadgets, we are also carrying out renovation of primary schools across the state to ensure children learn in a conducive environment.”

On the role of stakeholders in sustaining the gains in the basic education sub-sector,

Obaseki said that the state government is working with members of host communities where government is providing improved infrastructure in schools, adding, “the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) has been put in place so they can play a critical role in ensuring that schools are better organised. They will protect the infrastructure in the schools so that they are not vandalised.”

He urged parents “to assist governments in ensuring that schools, especially at the basic education level are effectively managed by teachers and other members of the school management.”

According to the UN, education offers children a ladder out of poverty and a path to a promising future as “about 265 million children and adolescents around the world do not have the opportunity to enter or complete school. More than a fifth of them are of primary school age.

“They are thwarted by poverty, discrimination, armed conflict, emergencies and the effects of climate change. Migration and forcible displacement also affect the achievement of the education goals, as presented in the 2019 Global Education Monitoring report.”

Related Articles