As part of the post-basic education reform, the Edo Government will hire 1,000 teachers for secondary schools in the state through the EdoSTAR fellowship.
When Dr. Joan Osa-Oviawe, the state’s commissioner for education, briefed reporters on the start of the state’s secondary education reform on Friday in Benin, she made this announcement.
She explained that this hiring would be in addition to the 3,000 teachers who are presently employed by the state’s elementary and junior secondary schools.
She claims that the move is being taken to address the current teacher shortage in order to provide high quality education.
According to the commissioner, the goal of the reform is to equip students with the skills necessary to perform to standards in a job that is continually evolving.
According to her, the reform would dedicate 60% of school activities to teaching, learning, and instructional time, 24% to extracurricular activities, and 16% to student brain-stimulating activities.
She also mentioned that 40 pilot schools in collaboration with UNICEF will serve as the starting point for the introduction of model digital learning across the state.
“The quality of education students receive in school has come under scrutiny recently in Edo State due to the high rate of malpractice and misconduct reported during major examination exercises in the state as well as lack of personnel to effectively deliver training across 307 schools dispersed across the state 18 local government areas.
“In order to build on the achievements already seen in the Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) Programme, the state government has been compelled to take decisive action under the EdoBEST 2.0 reform agenda in order to address concerns with secondary education,” she said.
Osa-Oviawe explained that the 450 class periods and 400 instructional hours per term were built into the school calendar.
“The reform will implement a uniform timetable that guarantees lectures are delivered just about anywhere, reduces the possibility of instructors’ classes conflicting, and maximises the use of the limited teaching staff and resources.
“Implement a uniform scheme of work and scripted lessons to direct teachers in the universally dispensing lectures throughout the state and uphold a high standard of teaching and learning.
“Make it easier to set up in-class libraries in all the state’s classrooms with the goal of enticing students to use the libraries more and learn how to manage books,” said the commissioner.
Regarding the appalling condition of the state’s schools, Osa-Oviawe stated that the current administration is working cooperatively to strengthen education financing, particularly in the field of infrastructural renewal. The administration inherited a vast inventory of damaged schools.
