Edo revamps learning, distributes educational tablets to secondary schools

Godwin Obaseki, the Edo State governor has matched action to words of leaving an educational legacy in the state in his recent move to equipping secondary school students with learning aids.

The state government recently empowered secondary students with educational tablets through its Edo Basic Education Transformation System (EdoBEST) initiative.

Joan Osa Oviawe, the state commissioner of education, made during her speech at the pilot of the Imaguero College in Benin City, revealed that the introduction of an integrated education management system built on the initiative’s success by extending digital learning to secondary schools.

The system rides on the five pillars of EdoBEST 2.0 namely, governance, innovative teaching, learning for skills, school environments and values.

Oviawe announced that the educational tablets will include scripted lessons, assessments, e-books, and interactive videos that align with the national curriculum.

“As part of the EdoBEST@Home initiative, students can now access these interactive videos offline, which promotes learning beyond the classroom. Additionally, this system will enable Edo children to gain exposure to technology at an early age,” she said.

Since the launch of the initiative in 2018 by Obaseki, the programme has empowered teachers at the primary level with tablets.

However, the education system in the state is undergoing a sector-wide reform from basic to tertiary education which will involve the distribution of tablets to secondary schools for both teachers and students.

She disclosed that since the governor launched the Edo Learning Agenda in April 2023, the ministry of education has been using transformative technologies to reshape teaching and learning in the state.

“The intervention aims to enhance the learner-centred pedagogy by improving the interaction between the teacher and learner, learner with teacher, and learner with other learners. It is expected that this initiative will lead to an overall improvement in the quality of education in the state,” she said.

Eugene Okhide, a Physics teacher at Imaguero College, who applauded the initiative, said adopting technology in teaching is a game-changer that simplifies the work of teachers.

Okhide reiterated that the education management system is very helpful, especially to students who according to him after watching instructional videos, can access it after the class is in a better position to master the subject.

“Today, we were able to take a pop-up test. It is a wonderful experience using the tablets,” he said.