Yemisi Izuora
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has engaged key stakeholders in the education with a view to closing the learning gap occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemi.
To achieve this the Governor led a stakeholders’ engagement event which brought together key players in the basic education sector from the 18 local government areas of Edo State in Benin City.
Speaking at the event which was attended by traditional, community and religious leaders, teachers, parents, pupils, and other stakeholders in the education sector, the Governor noted that the inheritance that can be handed to children is not restricted only to property but also extends to quality education.
During his address, he expressed that in the light of learning gaps created as a result of disruption to school calendars by the COVID-19 pandemic and other prevalent factors such as the need for our pupils to compete both locally and globally, there is a need for government to adjust the closing time of all public schools in Edo state from 1:45 pm to 2:45 pm to allow for more teacher-pupil contact time to accommodate remediation and improve learning outcomes.
He also stressed the need for parents to take as a priority the feeding of their children before and during school hours linking a high level of nutrition to a child’s energy and concentration levels and ultimately their academic performance. His Excellency enjoined parents with economic challenges to liaise with school administrators and the community to arrive at a solution to providing nutritious meals for their children.
The Governor called out for help from stakeholders especially parents and the communities. He stated that though providing Basic Education is a free and compulsory obligation of the State Government and a No 1 priority for his administration, the assistance and contributions of stakeholders is desirable in maintaining school facilities and in the provision of services to support the infrastructure and furnishing being provided and upgraded by Government.
In April 2018, the Edo State government, through the Dr Joan Osa Oviawe led Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), launched a state-wide basic education reform programme tagged EdoBEST (Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation). The programme deployed state-of-the-art technology to revolutionize the learning process in public schools, through teacher training, motivation of teachers and the introduction of a more goal-oriented pedagogy. The implementation of EdoBEST has led to significant improvement in the numeracy and reading capabilities of pupils across Edo State.
The stakeholders present at the event received the Governor’s points and recommendations with optimism. They commended the commitment of the Godwin Obaseki led administration to Basic Education, applauding all that the government has done and consenting to the message that it will take efforts and contributions from both the Government and all stakeholders to sustain the gains already achieved.