Edo begins training of additional 1,446 teachers, head teachers under EdoBEST 2.0

…extends EdoBEST programme to 306 junior secondary schools, covers 31,963 pupils

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 teachers in the schools.

The government, under the scheme, commenced the training of additional 1,446 teachers, head teachers and principals under the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) programme to sustain the gains recorded in the education sector.

The 10-day intensive training programme is being carried out by the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (Edo SUBEB) to equip the teachers with new teaching methods.

The Executive Chairman, Edo SUBEB, Mrs. Ozavize E. Salami, who spoke to journalists while declaring the training programme open in Benin City, said all 306 state-owned junior secondary schools (JSS) in Edo state have now been incorporated into the EdoBEST programme.

She said the training will effectively address the gap among the teaching corps in the state’s junior secondary school system by at least 95 percent, adding that over 32,000 additional Edo children are now covered under the state’s structured learning methodology through its EdoBEST programme.

She said, “This is a landmark achievement for us at Edo SUBEB. It is a major step as we extend the education reforms of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration to fully incorporate the junior secondary schools into the EdoBEST programme, 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.”

She further explained that because of the strategic role that 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.