With the successful implementation of Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST 1.0), transforming basic education, the Edo government has stepped up with the launch of EdoBEST 2.0, which focuses on senior secondary school and technical education. Uchechukwu Nnaike reports
The launch of EdoBEST 2.0 in Benin at the weekend also witnessed the launch of the Nigerian Learning Passport, in conjunction with the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
At the event, Governor Godwin Obaseki said the world is knowledge-driven, and without acquiring the required knowledge to navigate today’s world, one will not get anywhere significant.
“Human capacity is what tomorrow’s world needs, and if we don’t give our children what they need, our country won’t be able to compete then.” He stressed that the key to any education reform is the teacher, that is why the state government has trained and retrained teachers,” the governor explained.
According to him, teachers are the ones governing the schools, and “once you get the governance” of the school right with a competent head teacher, “he will get the other teachers to work and our children, the students will be okay.”
Obaseki added, “We have moved from the situation of ‘our children are going to school’. What we now focus on is the quality and relevance of what they are being taught. For us, education has not been an elitist product, and we must continue that so that our children would have access to school and quality education.”
The Edo governor announced a change of the designation of heads of secondary schools to executive principals to give them full responsibility. “They must not also bow to political pressure,” he added.
Expressing delight at the giant strides recorded through EdoBEST 1.0, launched in 2018 and which shot the state into national and international prominence, Obaseki said the focus on technical and vocational education is to move the state from a place where people have certificates but no job to where people have jobs even if they do not have big certificates.
“After junior secondary school, our children must have a vocation they are good at. In light of this, we are going to ensure that the state has at least 20 technical colleges before we leave office in 2024,” the Edo governor stressed. “We are also working on 20 mini stadia across the state as we want to produce total and complete students from our schools.”
Highlighting areas of focus of the programme to include quality and relevance of what students are taught, access, equity, school governance, financing, secondary and TVET education, he disclosed that next year would be on special education, adult education and tertiary education.
Obaseki allayed the fear that the reforms be discarded by succeeding administrations, saying adequate legal frameworks have been made to back up SUBEB, PPEB, and BTVET laws.
“Anybody who comes after us and wants to change anything would have to go to the lawmakers, who are the representatives of the people to change such laws. We are also going to implement Child Rights Law,” Obaseki explained. “Parents must do their part. Every parent that can afford it should/must provide food for their children to take to school.” He further explained that parents must support their child’s academic and co-curricular pursuits. He warned that parents using children under 18 for manual labour and home help would be prosecuted.
Perpetrators of all kinds of violence against children, including sexual defilement and physical abuse, will be prosecuted. The governor further warned that beginning September 12, when schools resume, school-age children found loitering or hawking during school hours will be arrested and their parents or guardians prosecuted. Constabularies, PUWOVs and other measures will be implemented to comb the marketplaces and streets during school hours.
“School resumes on Monday, September 12 and teaching begins on that day. I will send out a special squad to go out and monitor schools on that day,” Obaseki added. “The Ministry of Education, SUBEB, PPEB and BTVET will be held accountable if teaching does not begin on day one.”
The governor also announced the disarticulation of schools from 6-3-3-4 to 1-9-3-4, which will see the separation of JSS from SSS and the conversion of primary schools to basic schools. This will start in September.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Education, Dr Joan Osa Oviawe, said apart from training over 1,500 teachers and 305 executive principals, the 1,000 EdoSTAR Fellows just recruited would be trained too.
EdoSTAR- means Edo Supporting Teachers to Achieve Results.
“In line with the vision of EdoSTAR, Teacher Appreciation Day has been introduced. On this day, everyone is urged to celebrate our teachers and show them appreciation. EdoSTAR Teaching Fellowship Programme is not a casual work scheme,” explained the commissioner. “It’s a full-time Earn-and-Learn employment scheme to recruit and groom the next generation of teachers. Teaching is no longer the profession for quacks.”
According to her, what separates other government teachers from EdoSTAR fellows is that they are pensionable and earn Teachers Special Allowance.
“The EdoSTAR fellows will start earning this upon their automatic absorption into the public service after a satisfactory performance on the job..i.e. they are on time and regular at school, they can teach, and their pupils and students are learning. Fellows will receive continuous training,” Oviawe stated. “Those without the requisite educational qualifications will be supported to get them. All fellows will be trained to meet and exceed the new Edo State Teaching Standards.”
The commissioner also revealed that the NPOWER “coming into our school system will be given the opportunity to apply to join the EdoSTAR fellows.”
Oviawe added that upon completion of their one-year NPOWER scheme, and based on satisfactory performance, “they will be migrated to the EdoSTAR teaching fellowship, which is a pathway for direct absorption into the Edo State Public Service.” She added that the college of education, which will kick off administratively in September, would provide teachers with continuous professional development and capacity building.
Yetunde Oluwatosin and Babagana Aminu, education specialists at UNICEF, lauded Obaseki for introducing EdoBEST 1.0 and the higher version, EdoBEST 2.0, saying the former was an amazing experience in the state.
