The Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (Edo SUBEB), working the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC) is set to train 2,000 teachers and principals from Junior Secondary Schools from across the state, as part of plans to expand the EdoBEST initiative.
The state government, through Edo SUBEB starting today, Monday, February 14, 2022 is converging Junior Secondary School (JSS) principals and teachers in Benin City, the state capital for a 10-day intensive Teacher Professional Development Training geared at implementing EdoBEST in their schools.
EdoBEST has been described as a revolutionary basic education reform programme, introduced by the incumbent governor Godwin Obaseki, to improve learning outcomes in Edo State. The EdoBEST programme which was launched in primary schools in 2018 has been hailed as a game-changer by many local and international education stakeholders.
Ozavize E. Salami, executive chairman, Edo State Universal Basic Education Board explained that the EdoBEST programme is being introduced into JSS through a series of interventions targeted at improving teacher capacity, learning outcomes, teacher accountability, technology-based innovative teaching and learning.
“The overall objective of the EdoBEST programme in JSS is to graduate students who can compete not only nationally, but internationally. This teacher professional development training is a major step at achieving that objective. We are not only upskilling our teachers to deliver effective lessons but also providing them with teacher tablets as part of the instructional materials for seamless lesson delivery,” Salami said.
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The foundation for the commencement of EdoBEST reform in JSS has been laid over the past few months: at least 2,000 teachers have been recruited to fill teacher-gaps through the EdoSTAR programme, a state-wide baseline test to determine learning needs in JSS was conducted last November, while the school timetable was reviewed to increase learning time and teacher-student contact in September 2021.
Principals and teachers will receive training on the instructional approach for JSS, how to use learning guides (teacher tablet and smartphone), new classroom management strategies and student motivation techniques that are not based on coercion, abuse or force. Embedded in the training is the education of all caregivers on best practices on child protection and safeguarding issues in alignment with Betsy Obaseki, the wife of the state governor’s Anti Gender-Based Violence Initiative in Junior Secondary schools.
According to Salami, “In alignment with the vision of Governor Obaseki, Edo SUBEB is building on the successes and learnings gained from implementation at the primary level to ensure that students across Edo Junior Secondary Schools have a better learning experience and post results that will impact the lives of Edo parents, teachers and all relevant stakeholders.”
