31,963 pupils to benefit as Edo SUBEB commences training for 1,446 teachers, school leaders

.Additional 1,446 teachers, principals and head teachers undergo EdoBEST Induction Training

As the 2022/2023 session commences, all 306 state-owned junior secondary schools (JSS) in Edo state have now been incorporated into the EdoBEST programme as Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (Edo SUBEB) begins a landmark training of an additional  1,446 teachers, headteachers and principals drawn from across the state.

The training which is taking place in Benin City has effectively closed the teacher gap in the junior secondary school system by at least 95 percent and ushered approximately 32,000 additional Edo children into a structured methodology of learning through its EdoBEST programme. A total of 365 EdoSTAR fellows are also undergoing the 10-day intensive training which will enable participants deliver impactful lessons to pupils using the EdoBEST pedagogy.

Speaking on the first day of the training, Mrs. Ozavize E. Salami, Executive Chairman, Edo SUBEB noted that, “this is a landmark achievement for us at Edo SUBEB. It is a major step as we extend the education reforms of the Godwin Obaseki led administration to fully incorporate the Junior Secondary Schools in line with the ongoing JSS disarticulation process. Government is the largest provider of basic education service in the state and we are optimistic that our deliberate investment in teachers through professional development programmes will lead to measurable improvement in the learning outcomes of all our students located in urban, rural and even hard-to-reach areas of our state. For these set of participants, it is finally their turn to join their colleagues to be called digital teachers”

“The mandate is to sustain the gains made so far as the reforms in the basic education sector progresses and is domesticated. It is critical, now more than ever, that EdoBEST remains as a legacy for the people of Edo State even after this administration is long gone.

“His Excellency, Governor Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki is also demonstrating a political will towards closing teacher gaps through the EdoSTAR fellowship programme where 3,000 persons have been employed to fill teaching positions in primary and junior secondary schools. These fellows will benefit from the new minimum wage announced recently.

In response to questions surrounding payment of stipends to the EdoSTAR fellows, Mrs. Salami affirmed that “at least 80 percent of the EdoSTAR fellows have been fully paid their entitlements, while others will receive their full payments in the coming days.”

Edo state has been at the forefront of upskilling teachers. In the first two quarters of 2022 alone, 2602 teachers, school leaders, Learning and Development Officers (LDOs) and Quality Assurance Officers (QAO) were retrained to enable them deliver on their jobs as educators and education managers.

At the ongoing training, new school and classroom management techniques, modern teaching practices, safeguarding and child protection strategies as well as other important emerging best practices in school administration are being taught.

Additionally, sessions are tailored to provide support to teachers in other facets of teaching ranging from interpretation of the curriculum to understanding the needs of pupils with a view to motivating them to succeed.

Because of the strategic role teachers play in the basic education ecosystem, Governor Obaseki through his Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation reform has since 2018, consistently prioritized teacher professional development as a vehicle for accelerating learning.