BENIN CITY – The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has reinstated his administration’s commitment to ensuring quality education for all children in the state, noting that the government is investing in the education system to ensure a better future for the next generation.
The governor gave the assurance in commemoration of this year’s International Day of Mathematics (IDM), with the theme, ‘Mathematics for a Better World’.
Obaseki while assuring his government’s support for Edo children who are interested in careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), noted that science and mathematics have a crucial role in steering decisions to promote peace, social justice and human development.
The governor, who described quality education as pivotal to the socio-economic development of any nation, promised to collaborate and train more teachers in the state to improve the standard of education.
“For us as a government, we are aware that the greatest gift you can give to any child is quality education, which is why we are investing in the education system to ensure a better future for the next generation.”
Obaseki reassured that his government will continue to implement far-reaching policies and programmes targeted at ensuring a total transformation of the education sector and equipping every Edo child for a technologically driven 21st century.
He stated: “As part of our commitment to ensuring quality education for every Edo Child, we recently launched the ‘Let’s Go To School’ and ‘Parent’s First’ Campaigns with the mandate that all children in the state must have access to free basic education.”
Obaseki explained that the state through the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) programme is building a basic education system that can deliver quality education to every child in Edo State, noting that the state government is expanding the programme from the basic education level to secondary level and reset the state’s tertiary education system on the path of progress.
According to the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Audrey Azoulay: “Mathematics, with its many technical applications, now underpins all areas of our lives. Together with algorithms, mathematics plays a key role in artificial intelligence and technological disruptions. As we address global issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, we are reminded of the importance of mathematics in responding to the challenges of our time.”
