The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Joan Osa Oviawe

  • ‘School-based management committee to monitor renovation of 230 schools’

    The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said that School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) will play a critical role in monitoring the refurbishment of the over 230 primary schools under the Edo Basic Education Transformation (EdoBEST) programme.

    The governor disclosed this at the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) appreciation banquet organised for EdoBEST field workers in Benin City, the State Capital.

    He said plans are underway to ensure that the refurbishment of schools is completed before the end of the holiday season, adding that in 2019, another batch of 230 schools will be renovated.

    “My goal is to refurbish all the schools under EdoBEST before the end of 2019. I will rely on the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) to help the state government monitor all the contractors to ensure good service delivery and, where necessary, draw government’s attention to poor jobs,” he added.

    Obaseki assured: “We will provide furniture in all the schools slated for refurbishment. We will start with schools in deplorable conditions before moving to other schools and we will ensure all our schools in the state have toilet facilities.”

    He explained that ten years ago, the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration focused on the physical infrastructure in schools in Edo State, with the red roof revolution, but maintained that the buildings didn’t solve all the problems.

    “Our administration is now focusing on the people, the system as well as the process. When we get it right, things will fall in place,” he added.

    He commended the field workers under the EdoBEST programme for the success and progress recorded so far in less than one year, adding that his administration will commence the Federal Government’s Home-Grown School Feeding programme next year in the state to encourage enrolment.

    According to him, “I am happy to be in your midst today to celebrate with you as you have made me proud. I thank all the field officers that have driven the process, making it possible to attain this much success in revamping the education sector in the state. Education Marshals shall be introduced into the school system in 2019.”

    Commissioner for Education, Hon. Emmanuel Agbale, said the field workers comprise 106 Social Mobilisation Officers (SMO), 54 Learning and Development Officers (LDO) and five Quality Assurance Officers (QAO).

    Agbale said the 106 SMOs visited 607 EdoBEST schools to sensitize and work with 11,382 SBMC, who were trained in 202 clusters across the three senatorial districts.

    The commissioner said the EdoBEST programme is core in the education reforms of the Obaseki administration, aimed at improving teaching and learning as well as infrastructure.

    The Chairman, SUBEB and Special Adviser to the Governor on Basic Education, Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe, thanked the governor for giving them the opportunity to contribute their quota to the development of basic education in the state and commended the field workers for making the programme a success.

  • Obaseki deepens basic education reform

    …unveils 7,000 newly trained digital teachers

     

    To consolidate on the gains recorded in the basic education sub-sector in Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki will on October 6 unveil 7,000 newly trained digital teachers in the teachers’ professional development programme of the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo-BEST) initiative.

    Executive Chair Designate, Edo State Universal Basic Education Board, (SUBEB) and Special Adviser to the governor on Basic Education, Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe, who disclosed this in a chat with journalists, said that the government is advancing rapidly with its reform of the basic education sub-sector.

    According to Dr. Osa Oviawe, “The graduation ceremony which will hold at the University of Benin Sports Complex, Benin City, is an opportunity to highlight the governor’s vision to re-enact basic education in Edo State through the Edo-BEST programme.”

    She explained that “since the launch of Edo-BEST Programme in April, 2018, no fewer than 7000 head teachers and teachers have moved from analogue to digital teaching, using tablets and smart phones. 612 public primary schools have been captured in the programme, with over 150,000 pupils billed to benefit. In addition, over 800,000 textbooks are being deployed across the 612 schools currently.”

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    The graduation ceremony she added, will hold at the University of Benin Sports Complex, Benin City.

    She further said that the ceremony was planned to coincide with the International Teachers day, on October 5, and would serve as a means to join teachers across the world in celebrating the contribution of teachers to development and also acknowledge the place of technology in the classroom of tomorrow.

    Recall that Governor Godwin Obaseki in April launched the Edo-BEST programme, where 2, 000 teachers were unveiled after participating in the pilot phase of the programme.

    An initiative of the Governor Godwin Obaseki administration, Edo-BEST is aimed at developing a highly-skilled teaching workforce by training, supporting and motivating Edo State teachers to succeed in the classroom of tomorrow and enhance the Edo State Basic Education curriculum thereby empowering children to compete effectively in the world of work.

    The programme is already transforming the basic education delivery systems in Edo State, by leveraging technology in education provision and utilizing accurate and timely data to drive policy and planning decisions.

  • ‘Training for Learning Officers will engender result-driven basic education’

    Chairman-designate of the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board, (SUBEB), Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe, has said that the ongoing training for Learning and Development Officers, who are championing the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo-BEST) programme, will guarantee a result-driven basic education sub-sector in the state.

    Dr. Osa Oviawe, in a chat with journalists, said that the state government intends to revolutionize the basic education sub-sector and make it the envy of all, noting that continuous capacity building for improved productivity in the classroom remains a cardinal arm of the Edo-BEST programme.

    Dr. Oviawe, who is also the Special Adviser to the Governor on Basic Education, said that the ongoing training is in phases and only dedicated hands will progress to the next stage.

    “Some of the teachers have advanced to the next stage of the exercise. Others will go back to the classroom to teach and continue to master their craft.

    “The selection criteria included assessment scores, oral interview and unbeknownst to all of them, they were under observation in the last two weeks. Some were sleeping in class, while some others were busy chatting online. The pass mark for Learning and Development Officers was set at 75 per cent. We are really gunning for the best of the best to become trainers of teachers,” she said.

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    She noted that “the experience from the exercise remains a treasure trove of insights and new revelations, as people who are used to the shortcuts of cronyism, nepotism, tribalism have now been jolted to pay mind to their tasks.”

    She added that the exercise also revealed that “some teachers are hard of hearing, some cannot see well and we have told them to get their eyes tested and outfitted with glasses.”

    According to her, “there were some complaints from some of the participants which we are looking at solving. As we turn over the system and introduce merit as the foremost yardstick for decision making, it is our hope that the teachers will soon cotton on to the mindset of meritocracy.

    “At this stage of the training, teachers have to be able to use the tablet effectively to teach. And at the end of the training, those still struggling will not be given a teacher’s tab. They will need to go for more training.”

  • Obaseki’s Education reform: Tech-based result compilation thrills teachers

    Following the successful launch of the Governor Godwin Obaseki’s Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo BEST) initiative, the pilot schools commenced their first end-of-term examination on Monday July 30, 2018, which will be rounded off on Wednesday August 1, 2018.

    According to the Edo State government, the examination will be followed by a Marking Day, to be observed on Thursday August 2, 2018 when pupils’ examination sheets will be marked and recorded into the teachers’ digital device.

    Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Basic Education and Acting Chairman, Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe, said the teachers are delighted at the digitalisation of teaching in Edo BEST schools and explained that the end-of-term examination is “part of the revamped continuous assessment of pupils.”

    She further said that “Friday August 3, will be Open day, when parents will be invited for a one-on-one conference with the teachers, to discuss their children’s academic and extra-curricular progress.”

    The SUBEB boss explained that “All the schools are writing the same examination. This will allow for comparison across the state because our pupils are taught the same content. We have completed Monitoring and Evaluation for the pilot phase of Edo BEST to help us ascertain the effectiveness of the methods.”

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    On the gains so far recorded since the commencement of the education reform in the state, she maintained that “while we await the analysis of the data gathered, so far, from anecdotal evidence, we have recorded significant gains in attitudinal change.

    “I am amazed by the number of teachers who tell me their attendance has improved greatly as pupils now love to come to school.

    “With the elimination of corporal punishment, the school has become more nurturing for our pupils. Our digital teachers deserve a lot of praise for their hard work and professionalism.”

    Dr. Osa Oviawe disclosed that beginning in August, “Edo SUBEB will commence the training of an additional 5,000 public primary school teachers.

    “At the end of the training, each of them will receive teaching tablet which they will start using in the new academic year, which will start in September.”