Edo State Universal Basic Education Board in conjunction with the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC) is set to train 2,000 teachers and principals from Junior Secondary Schools from across the State.

The Edo State Government, through its State Universal Basic Education Board (Edo SUBEB) has taken another giant step in its commitment to reform basic education.

Beginning from Monday 14, February 2022 Junior Secondary School (JSS) principals and teachers will converge in Benin City for a 10-day intensive Teacher Professional Development Training geared at implementing EdoBEST in their schools.

EdoBEST is a revolutionary basic education reform programme introduced by Governor Godwin Obaseki to improve learning outcomes in Edo State. Launched in primary schools four years ago, the programme has been hailed as a gamechanger by local and international education thought leaders.

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,” Mrs. Ozavize E. Salami, Executive Chairman, Edo State Universal Basic Education Board said.

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 Her Excellency, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki’s Anti Gender Based Violence Initiative in Junior Secondary schools.

According to Mrs. 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.