Education Sector Reform, My Priority, Says Edo Commissioner

With the recent appointment of Dr. Joan Oviawe as the Commissioner for Education in Edo State three years after the inauguration of EdoBEST, she has expressed her readiness to push the frontier of education sector reform. Funmi Ogundare writes

When Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe was confirmed as Commissioner for Education in Edo State on October 6, 2021, her appointment did not come as a surprise due to her track record in the sector.

During the swearing-in ceremony of commissioners and special advisers, Governor Godwin Obaseki noted that “we are here to witness the swearing of men and women, who you will agree with me, have distinguished themselves in their chosen careers, who we have found worthy to serve as commissioners and special advisers in our dear state, Edo State.”

Speaking at the induction ceremony, Oviawe said the governor’s vision for the state for a second term is clear, adding that they are committed to his vision.

“It is encapsulated in the four-letter word, ‘MEGA’; Making Edo Great Again. We are committed to this vision,” she said.

Prior to the ceremony, 1,000 fellows were inducted into a two-year fellowship programme for teachers who will redefine Edo State’s teacher corp in the near future. Many believe that this is just one of several steps that will follow. Oviawe was a former Chairman of Edo State Basic Education Board (Edo SUBEB). Before her appointment in 2018, the public primary school system was bedevilled by various challenges.

For instance, many teachers arrived at school and spent most of the day doing anything but teaching. Some who taught gave instructions in local dialects, while others didn’t show up at all. This nonchalant attitude of teachers reflected in the result of pupils as it produced those who could neither read fluently nor solve basic Mathematics problems. However, the problem went beyond reading and numeracy proficiency as Governor Godwin Obaseki confirmed that “a lot of these children could not find jobs because they were not employable, and the reason was that the educational system had collapsed.”

To resolve the challenges, he observed that a fundamental shift in pedagogy was required to cater to the needs of teachers and pupils beyond erecting school buildings.

A passionate and experienced education and gender issues specialist, Oviawe was then charged with addressing the issues.

The first step she took was to develop a comprehensive plan to right the wrongs in the system. EdoBEST (Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation), a reform programme, was launched as a flagship programme to address the situation in schools.

Drawing from deep research findings and the result of a comprehensive evaluation of the basic education system in Edo’s 18 local government areas, five key areas of need were identified.

In response, five pillars were agreed upon as sin qua non to total reform, including systems straightening and organisation (SUBEB) development; teacher professional development and quality assurance; curriculum development and learning outcome; community engagement and partnerships; and as school infrastructure and facilities upgrade.

These pillars address all the core elements of a functional education system, catering to the needs of teachers and pupils; strengthening Edo SUBEB, the organisation set up by the government to administer basic education and bridging the gap between the schools and communities that house them.

EdoBEST commenced with research and training of several batches of teachers. A new pedagogy was introduced to the basic education system, while tablets were given to teachers to aid the teaching and learning process.

Her strategy involved the deployment of technology and partnership. Technology that was available locally was easily deployed; what was lacking was sourced from abroad. This pattern was also adopted with sourcing relevant partnerships.

Additionally, institutions like the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) were set up to bridge the gap between communities and schools, learning materials and other relevant equipment which were hitherto scarce in public schools were provided, while infrastructure enhancement remained a fulcrum of reforms as instituted by Oviawe.

Currently, Edo teachers receive continuous support in terms of training and career development activities. Exceptional teachers are rewarded while parents play a greater role in the learning process of their children.

Outcomes of reform

As of today, if a teacher in Akoko Edo local government is absent from school, it can be detected miles away in Benin City. The technology is also so exact that pupils’ performance can be tracked, making it possible to know where they need help.
The first impact of EdoBEST was a drastic change in the attitude of teachers to their duties. Data available from Edo SUBEB shows that between April 2018 and mid-2021, teacher attendance snowballed by 489 per cent. Similarly, the lesson completion rate rose from 47 per cent in 2018 to 81 per cent in 2021, a 73 per cent rise.

By developing a highly skilled, supported, and motivated teacher workforce, infrastructure and integrated school management systems, Oviawe and her team delivered world-class education solutions to Edo State indigenes.

Currently, 848 public primary schools run on the EdoBEST programme. Over 11,356 teachers have been trained, while over 274,000 pupils continue to benefit.

Consequently, EdoBEST has received a commendation from states within Nigeria and countries in Africa.

Representatives from Lagos, Kwara and Ondo have visited Edo State to study the model. In like manner, the Governments of Rwanda, Liberia and Finland, as well as global institutions including the World Bank, have either come to understudy the programme or commended it. But the biggest winners are the pupils whose learning outcomes have improved tremendously.

The classroom revolution

Apart from technology and partnerships, a core component of EdoBEST is pedagogy. This method of classroom management focuses on technology and science as the basis of delivering results. Corporal punishment is discouraged while pupils are motivated to achieve a result through encouragement and a specially designed reward system.

Through fun, games, encouragement and a warm environment, pupils are encouraged to learn. Those who are not at par with their peers undergo a remedial programme to learn at the right level, thereby catching up.

When Covid-19 broke out, EdoBEST from home was conceptualised to ensure that the Edo child was not left behind. Pupils received lessons in their homes through multiple platforms, and assessments were carried out by hundreds of teachers remotely.

Unending reform

The appointment of Oviawe is a testament to the fact that Governor Obaseki is truly committed to education sector reform. Many in the state anticipate widespread reform on the back of her appointment, similar to what held at SUBEB.

A PhD holder in Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education, Oviawe holds an MSc degree in International and Intercultural Education, as well as a Bachelors degree in Public Policy and Administration. She is a visiting fellow at the Institute for African Development at Cornell University and a faculty fellow at Telluride House, Cornell University, both in the US.

In line with her life-long passion for gender and education-related issues, Oviawe has participated in several global discussions and e-forums on women sponsored by multilateral institutions, including the World Bank, UNESCO, UN Women and UNIFEM.

In her career, Oviawe has founded several NGOs to entrench her vision for women and education further. She is the founder of Africa Special Interest Group (ASIG) of the Comparative and International Education Society, an active and vibrant scholarly community that encourages and supports critical inquiries into African educational issues.

“This is all about the children,” she is noted to say continuously as she exudes passion for the education of young people across Edo State. When she came in, everybody had to sit up,” a director at Edo SUBEB who preferred anonymity said while describing Oviawe.

Describing the impact of EdoBEST in April 2021, Jaime Saavedra Chanduvi, Senior Director, Education Global Practice at the World Bank, noted that EdoBEST can be a model for countries.”