EdoBEST 3rd Anniversary Highlights

Best of EdoBEST's 3rd Anniversary, June-July 2021

An EdoSUBEB Initiative

July

Saavedra, World Bank Education director calls EdoBEST a success story

Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) success has earned the south-southern State of Nigeria World Bank Education’s accolades.

Jaime Saavedra, director, World Bank Education said that he believes Edo State can set a great example for other states in Nigeria and even other countries. That is why Edo is part of the World Bank/UNICEF Accelerator Programme.

Saavedra highlighted three aspects of the EdoBEST programme that show its impact and potential.

Firstly is the expanded use of technology. Since its inception in 2018, EdoBEST was conceived as a whole system reform approach that leverages modern digital technologies backed by the science of learning to improve the teaching and learning processes.

Secondly, there is an understanding that technology is critical but not enough. It is about combining technology with the human factor.

Edo deployment of tablets with scripted lessons has been accompanied by a lot of support for teachers through practical teacher training and the presence of quality assurance officers.

Investing in human capital, the education of children is critical for their welfare and well-being, but it is also instrumental in fostering innovation and long-term growth and development.

Third, Edo has been fast at adapting to the reality of COVID-19.

EdoBEST@HOME incorporated digital self-study packets distributed via WhatsApp, interactive quizzes, digital storybooks and lesson guides delivered to parents are all interesting innovations.

A highly skilled workforce with higher wages is more innovative and productive and copes better with economic shocks. In today’s world, we need that more than ever.

These excerpts from a message of goodwill from Jaime Saavedra for the official celebrations of the EdoBEST programme’s third anniversary, 28th June 2021.

“We all need to continue learning about remote technologies, but this shows that mitigating the impacts of shocks like the pandemic is possible where there is enough commitment."

Repositioning Edo Education through Improving Standard

The Edo State Government recently commemorated the third year of introducing the Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo BEST) initiative, designed to increase learning gains and create an enabling environment for pupils’ development especially at the basic education level.

To ensure that the system works, the state government had already introduced the five pillars of system strengthening and organisational development, teacher professional development and quality assurance, curriculum development and learning outcomes, community engagement and partnerships, as well as school infrastructure and facilities.

All of these have already been set in motion against the backdrop of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s strong belief that basic education is the foundation of education.

As far as we are concerned in the state, the Edo BEST programme is one of our greatest achievements. We are very happy that Edo BEST has gained global and local recognition. We want to replicate the successes and achievements that we have made in EdoBEST to EdoBEST 2.0, which is meant to capture our secondary schools and higher institutions in our dear state. As a government, we have decided to focus on the foundation and improve the quality of education at the basic level, so that the children can be connected to the world and be able to read and write at an early age. We are going to track the performance of teachers, inspectors and quality assurance officers.

The governor also disclosed the state’s readiness to ensure that a technical school is built in every local government area, adding that it will be a collaboration between the state and local government, as well as the private sector.

“We want to strengthen the capacity of our teachers at the basic level and ensure that there is quality at every level. Our graduates should be able to have skills to set up themselves,” he said.

According to him, the tertiary institutions are going to focus on producing certain kinds of manpower, particularly agriculture and healthcare, among others, while promising that his administration would make tertiary institutions in the state competitive globally.

Edo’s Rescue Pills For Ailing Education Sector

KAYODE OLANREWAJU, July 6 2021 Barely three years after raising concerns to address the sloppy school system in Edo State, following age-long neglect of the education sector, over two million children currently learning under the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo- BEST) programme, are today better for it.

The coherent, comprehensive wholesystem reform launched by the state government to midwife major transform in the basic education level, has led to great results, leapfrogging the delivery of qualitative foundation education for the pupils. Apart from the pupils, who the programme has impacted significantly on their learning ability in terms of improved numeracy and literacy, EdoBEST programme has made the teachers more competent and committed, punctual at schools and hardworking.

The learning outcome has greatly been impressive as pupils in the EdoBEST schools have improved tremendously in numeracy and literacy; even they are now bold and confident to talk,” the teachers said.

“There is no laziness and truancy because we are always busy. The teachinglearning process and approach is now different from what it used to be before the introduction of the EdoBest programme in the state. With digital teaching, the children are now more focused under the child-centred learning where the pupils are actively involved and are no longer passive in the class. commitment."

The EdoBEST programme was launched in 2018 by the state government to change the narrative of the sliding fortune of the state’s education sector due to what it described as “monumental rot resulting from age-long neglect.”

The state Governor, Godwin Obaseki had initiated the silent revolution in the basic education sub-sector that aimed at salvaging and transforming primary school education with a view to increasing learning gains.

The holistic basic education sector transformation is an adaptive programme that leverages learning to continuously drive school and system level improvement in order to create an enabling environment for pupils’ learning and development. The programme since its launch has yielded tremendous gains that cut across the three thematic areas of access, quality and system strengthening.

Why we’re setting up technical colleges in all LGs — Obaseki

Mary Obaebor, July 1 2021 Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has said his administration is going to revive technical education in the state and will soon set up technical colleges in all the local government areas of the state.

He has also directed all junior secondary schools in the state to henceforth be under the supervision of State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB. Speaking during the third anniversary of Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation, EdoBEST, and the unveiling of EdoBEST 2.0, Obaseki said that with the result recorded in education sector at basic level in the last three years, it was logical to extend it to secondary and tertiary institutions.

My administration launched EdoBEST three years ago to deliver holistic transformation to our basic education sector, I am elated that in spite of COVID-19 and school closures, the programme recorded significant progress as our pupils are now learning much more and at a rate similar to more developed countries.

Studies show that Edo State has accelerated reading fluency for our children to 70 percent that of highincome countries, compared to less than 30 percent for Nigeria and other low and middleincome countries globally.

These results are remarkable and demonstrate that we are on the path to global competitiveness.

He explained that the decision to have the transformation across all education value chain informed the unveiling of EdoBEST 2.0, “having satisfied with the progress recorded in our primary school in the last three years, we need to extend it to our secondary schools, technical colleges and tertiary institutions.

“All our JSS classes will now come under SUBEB, when students complete primary six they automatically go on to Junior Secondary School and they are going to get the same standard. We are also going to have more technical schools with a minimum of one technical school in each of our local government.”

Corroborating his views, Executive Chairman, Edo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe, said that since the inception of the Obaseki administration, they had resolved to transform the fortunes of Edo State through education.

Nigeria's Edo State to expand education reforms

From the near collapse of the state’s education sector, the Edo State Government is today expressing fulfillment over the introduction of the EdoBEST programme that has changed the narrative of the basic education sub-sector.

Basking in the euphoria of the record of achievements of the programme, the Governor Obaseki-led government, last week, gathered major stakeholders in the state’s education sector in Benin, the state capital, to mark the third anniversary of Edo- BEST. After three years of education reforms, Nigeria's Edo state is looking to expand into the next phase of reforms that would see the EdoBEST initiative extended to all basic education components in the state as they look to improve learning outcomes.

Obaseki launches EdoBEST 2.0

Kofoworola Belo-Osagie, July 1 2021 Monday’s result-sharing session to mark the Third Anniversary of the Edo Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) at the Festival Hall of the Government House, Benin, was all about the children.

The pupils gave the welcome address, interviewed Governor Godwin Obaseki, acted a drama and recited poem. From pre-schoolers that were barely five year olds, to primary five and six pupils, they took up the tasks assigned to them with confidence.

Whenever the pupils from various public primary schools across the state took to the stage, the audience expressed delight. “These children are very good,” “they are so confident”, were comments that members of the audience made to those closest to them.

When they took on the governor during the interview, they asked about their future beyond primary school given that EdoBEST, a technology-enabled system that provides teachers with standardised lesson notes and child-centered classroom managerial skills, had rapidly improved learning outcomes at the primary level. They wanted to know if the government had plans to revamp secondary schools and tertiary institutions as well.

Obaseki described EdoBEST as one of his administration’s biggest achievements. He said the impressive performance of the project had inspired the state to launch the EdoBEST 2.0 to replicate the results in other levels of education.

This is as far as I am concerned one of our greatest achievements as a government. Today we are going to be unveiling the next phase – EdoBEST 2.0.

Though learning outcomes had improved and brought pupils in the state’s public schools to the level of 70 percent of what children at the same level knew in Asia, Obaseki said the state would not rest on its oars.

Obaseki was confident that the EdoBEST 2.0 would outlast his administration once people are able to take ownership of the project like they did for first phase.

He said: “We have made progress but we are not where we want to be.

We need to accelerate. We don’t have time. Our kids are now learning better – they are about 70 percent of their colleagues in Europe and Asia. They are far from where their colleagues in Nigeria are but that is not the standard. We want to be at 100 percent. We want to extend this outcome throughout the education system – through our basic, secondary, technical schools and tertiary institutions. As long as we get our people to take ownership, it will last,” he said.

June

Parents need not send children abroad, says Obaseki

June 29th 2021 29 June 2021The Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has said due to the upgrade of tertiary institutions his government is embarking on, parents will no longer send their children abroad to study.Obaseki said this on Monday at the unveiling of the EdoBEST 2.0 and the thirdyear report of the project.

Obaseki who spoke at the Edo State Government House, maintained that all the tertiary institutions in the state would be globally competitive and affiliated to top international institutions.

We do not want parents to send their children abroad because we will ensure our higher institutions are the same standard with those abroad and we need to compete globally.

He said, “We are working hard to upgrade our universities to global standards. We are working to see how we can affiliate the tertiary institutions in our state to global competitiveness. The philosophy which we used to achieve EdoBest will be used to change the secondary schools, colleges of education and universities.

Gov. Obaseki inaugurates `Edo BEST 2.0’ programme

June 29th 2021 Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo on Monday inaugurated “Edo BEST 2.0” programme aimed at capturing all secondary schools and tertiary institutions in the state.

Obaseki, who performed the inauguration ceremony in Benin, said that his administration inaugurated Edo BEST 2.0 to complement the feat recorded by the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EDOBEST) since it was inaugurated in 2018.

“As far as we are concerned in the state, the EDOBEST programme is one of our greatest achievements.

“We are very happy that EDOBEST has gained global and local recognition.

“We want to replicate the successes and achievements we’ve made in EDOBEST to Edo BEST 2.0 which is meant to capture our secondary schools and higher institutions in our dear state.

“I don’t see how EDOBEST will have been successful if not for the person of Dr. Joan Oviawe, the Chairman EDOBEST, and her team for making it possible.

“You have helped us build these children to primary six-level, now, what is next?

“So, today, we are going to unveil the Edo BEST 2.0 as a way to ensure the gains of learning at the basic education level is sustained after the first six years.

“We have made progress, we are not where we want to be yet, we need to accelerate it.

Our kids are now learning better, they are more than 70 percent of their colleagues in Europe and Asia.

“They are far from where the colleagues in Nigeria are, but that’s not the standard. “We want to be at 100 percent, we want to extend this education transformation throughout the educational chain, basic education system, middle school, technical colleges, and tertiary institutions.

Obaseki gave assurance that his administration would make tertiary institutions competitive globally, adding that the education system must deliberately work on national values. Dr Joan Osa-Oviawe, the Chairman of Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), lauded the leadership of the governor in transforming the educational sector by leveraging Basic Education.

Osa-Oviawe expressed SUBEB commitment and courage to realize the governor’s dream.

He noted that the transformation in the sector had made it easier to monitor the attendance of teachers in class.

Obaseki expands EdoBEST programme to secondary schools, tertiary institutions

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, yesterday, expanded the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) programme to capture secondary schools and tertiary institutions in the state.

Unveiling the EdoBEST 2.0 programme at the Government House, Benin City, Obaseki said the expansion became necessary to ensure that secondary schools and tertiary institutions benefited from the gains of digital teaching in primary schools through the EdoBEST programme inaugurated in 2018.

As far as we are concerned, the EdoBEST programme is one of our greatest achievements. We are happy that it has gained global and local recognition.

We want to replicate the successes and achievements we have made in EdoBEST to EdoBEST 2.0, meant to capture our secondary schools and higher institutions in our state,” he said.

On her part, Osa-Oviawe said the state had achieved 91 per cent teachers’ attendance in Edo State lessons completion rate of 81 per cent, adding that the focus was to achieve 100 per cent.

Commending the Chairperson, Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (Edo-SUBEB), Dr. Joan OsaOviawe, for ensuring the success of the initiative, Obaseki said: “I don’t see how EdoBEST would have been successful if not for Osa-Oviawe and her team.

“We also recorded 17 per cent increase in enrolment in public schools, amounting to 21,000 pupils switching from private schools to the public education system across the state,” she added.

You have helped us to build the children to primary six level. So, today we are unveiling the EdoBEST 2.0 to ensure that the gains recorded at the basic education level are sustained after the first six years. Our kids are now learning better, their level is about 70 per cent of their colleagues in Europe and Asia. They are far from their colleagues in Nigeria.

“The COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t stop the progress of EdoBEST, as teachers created over 7,000 visual classrooms to enable pupils to continue with their learning.

Contents were uploaded on our website to ensure continuity, despite global shutdown occasioned by COVID-19,” she added.

Responding, a pupil of Iguodala Primary School, Stephanie Osewengie, commended Governor Obaseki for improving the standard of basic education in the state.

Pupils, teachers outline benefits of EdoBEST

Pupils and teachers are telling happy stories of how the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) programme has improved teaching and learning in the last three years.

The programme uses evidencebased academic content, positive classroom management techniques and continuous teacher training and support.

The new child-centred and scientifically-based lessons have improved pupils’ performance across EdoBEST primary schools. These new methodologies include the use of cheers, songs and other motivation techniques. The positive impact of these changes is being felt by both teachers and pupils. Both groups had a lot to share when asked for their perspectives.

The ‘‘No Corporal Punishment’’ policy, which means pupils should not be physically disciplined, has been graciously received by pupils.

Okiti Hope, a pupil in Eweka Primary School in Egor said:

Before when I answer a question wrongly in class, my teacher will shame me and sometimes flog me. But now, my teacher just corrects me and encourages me to do better next time, and this has made me learn more and be self-confident in class.”

The testimonials point to the fact that pupils are enjoying the new motivational techniques used in class by teachers. Research has shown that a positive learning environment enables pupils to learn more because they are open to asking questions and can process the feedback that they are given which allows them to learn more.

This is in line with the third pillar of the EdoBEST program–‘Curriculum Development and Learning Outcomes.’

According to Okoifoh Samuel, a primary 6 pupil (and prefect of his class) at Akho Primary School in Irrua, Esan Central, “The new way of teaching mathematics, has made me like the subject so much, unlike before, I now enjoy solving complex mathematics problems.” Last year, as a result of the rigorous teaching in mathematics and the support he got from his teacher, Okoifoh emerged as the Best Mathematics Pupil in his school and tied for best in the senatorial district.

Experts Commend EdoBEST Programme for Boosting Education

By Funmi Ogundare, June 25th 2021 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.”

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.”

An EdoSUBEB Initiative