Experts Commend EdoBEST Programme for Boosting Education

By Funmi Ogundare

Some stakeholders in the education sector in Edo State have commended the state government for introducing the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (BEST) programme.
They said aside helping to strengthen the primary education system in different local governments, it had also enhanced strong communication channel with SUBEB and ensured the training of teachers.
In a release made available to THISDAY, as the initiative recently clocked three years, the Education Secretary of Uhunmwonde LGEA, Mr. Peter Osakpamwan thanked the Edo State Government and SUBEB for the initiative.
He said “despite being one of the poorest local government, the government has trained over 754 teachers in 82 out of 90 schools across communities. Out of the remaining 8 schools, 6 of them are in the process of joining the EdoBEST programme, while the other two are not viable for now, following the farmer-herdsmen clashes in the two communities.”
He said the EdoBEST initiative had enabled him to have a strong communication channel with the board, his staff and field officers, adding that with the pandemic, his over 754 teachers have been engaged on the Whatsapp learning platform, including a weekly capacity building webinar.
A Learning And Development Officer in Owan East LGEA, Ms Gloria Ekore,
has been working and travassing the the local government, spreading the good news that the EdoBEST program has brought, and more recently, the EdoBEST@home initiative.
She manages 13 schools in the LGA, with 104 teachers who she coaches, mentors and supports as she visits her cohort of schools.

She said she had been proactive in encouraging all her teachers to join the Whatsapp learning platform and provide support to their pupils.

According to her, “over 90 of my teachers have activated Whatsapp and joined their respective groups, to ensure that their pupils are learning while at home.

A primary five teacher at Ohobo Primary School, Mrs. Cynthia Oputeh expressed delight about the friendly and open relationship she now enjoys with her pupils.

“Before EdoBEST, I used to flog my pupils as a way of correcting them, but with EdoBEST I have been taught other correctional methods and positive behavioural motivation techniques like character boards and strive points.

“My pupils are now well behaved and friendlier. All thanks To EdoBEST correction methods. Even my children ask me why I do not flog them anymore, and I tell them, EdoBEST has taught me better ways of correcting children.

“EdoBEST is changing the way we teach and manage our pupils, I love the programme and I am more motivated than ever, as a teacher.”

The Education Secretary of Owan West, Mr. Peter Ilegar thanked Governor Godwin Obaseki for the introduction of the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) and Social Mobilization Officers (SMO), for the synergy these structures had brought between schools, education staff and members of the community.
“When I became education secretary, there was so much disharmony between the LGEA and community members, and even between LGEA staff, but by adhering to the operations and guidelines of the EdoBEST programme, and my personnel management skills, I have been able to bridge this gap, and the field officers have also been able to spread the good news.”