Edo distributes educational tablets to secondary schools

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

Joan Osa Oviawe, the state commissioner for education, who confirmed this in Benin, the state capital, said the introduction of an integrated education management system built on the success of the initiative 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 are in line with the national curriculum.

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

Since the launch of the initiative in 2018 by Governor Godwin Obaseki, the programme has empowered teachers at the basic 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 April2023, 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 has simplified the work of teachers.