The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBEST) programme was successful in the state because of a deliberate policy to build the capacity of teachers and make the learning experience fun for pupils.
He stated this during a special episode of #EdTechMonday, with the theme: ‘Back To School-But Is It Back To Learning?’ organised by Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works, in collaboration with the World Bank Group and broadcast on CNBC Africa.
According to him, “Before we came in, there were challenges with the teaching corps. In other states, they were being laid off, while others wrote them off. But we took them in, trained, and equipped them with technology tools and a new pedagogy to deliver optimal results in the classroom.
“We also took a different approach to the learning process with pupils. We made education and learning fun. There was a lot of fun even in the way we retrained the teachers. This was quite exciting. At the end of the day, the teachers took pride in their profession and now referred to themselves as digital teachers.”
The governor said even with the successes recorded, the state is not resting on its oars, noting that there is more to be done.
“It is a journey; we are not there yet. Some of the children have just graduated from primary school and will be resuming junior school. We are committed and looking for funding to continue to deliver the tech-based teaching and learning experience to them, so as to sustain the gains recorded,” he added.
