Executive Chairman of the Board of the Edo State Universal Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mrs. Osavize Salami, has disclosed that the Godwin Obaseki-led administration in the state has committed substantial resources to the education sector been one of his key reform areas.
In her presentation during a press conference at John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA), Mrs. Salami, stated that the present administration has recorded modest but impactful outcomes in areas which she highlighted under the five pillars of the EdoBEST 2.0 programme. They include Governance, Innovative Teaching, Learning for Skills, School environment/Infrastructure, and Values.
Mrs Salami who shared the vision, strategic objective, and ultimate goals of the EdoBEST programme which is geared towards equipping Edo children with the requisite knowledge, skills and values needed for the future and positioning them to become global citizens.
According to her, the Board has embarked on 181 projects in primary and secondary schools in the state to improve on their infrastructure.
She disclosed that over 228 schools under the Edo Basic Education Transformation System (EdoBEST), have 346,757 pupils, with 15,125 digitally trained teachers, stating that governance across SUBEB and the schools has drastically improved.
The SUBEB chairman added that the Board has built a formidable crop of teachers who use proven modern classrooms and pupil management techniques to teach their pupils and bring them to scale.
She, however revealed that schools in the rural areas are hard to reach and as such cannot have the EdoBEST delivered to them as those in the urban areas which is necessitating a special learning package to be designed for them.
Mrs. Lawani, further disclosed that beyond the significant investments made in innovative teaching, teachers’ capacity development, systems strengthening, and governance, there is currently an infrastructure intervention plan that is being implemented on the basis of analysis and data-driven decisions that are anchored on the use of technology.
She stated that between October 2021 and July 2023, under EdoBEST2.0, the present administration had distributed over 11,635 digital work tools comprising smartphones, teacher tablets, Samsung tablets and power banks to various stakeholders in the basic education ecosystem.
“More than 1.5million textbooks, homework books, over 7.5 million exam materials and not less than 1.6 million result sheets were distributed to facilitate teaching, learning and assessment.
“Since its inception, over 600,000 children have benefitted from EdoBEST. Today, over 380,000 children are receiving relevant and next-generation aligned learnings made available in 1,289 basic education schools (primary and junior secondary schools) across the 18 local government areas in Edo state.”
With respect to improving school infrastructure, which is also a focus area of this administration, “at least 48,950 metres of school fence have been constructed, another batch of fence construction measuring 14,850 metres will be completed before September 2023; approximately 38,000 furniture sets have been supplied to schools while another of 10,000 furniture sets are in finishing stages soon to be delivered to schools ahead of the new academic session.
“Additionally, over 1,100 toilets have been constructed or renovated with 174 toilets rooms nearing completion. 41 Water projects are also currently ongoing.
“So far 7,511 classrooms have been renovated, and 321 new classrooms constructed since the start of the administration, an additional 400 classrooms will be ready to receive pupils when they resume in the next academic session”, Mrs. Salami added.
The SUBEB Executive Chairman, however acknowledged the facility from World Bank, and partnerships from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other international development partners in improving foundational learning and learning outcomes.
Mrs. Salami was joined at the press conference by the state commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Mr. Chris Nehikhare and the Special Adviser on Communications to Governor Godwin Obaseki, Mr. Crusoe Osagie.
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