By Erharuyi A. Joe.
The Edo State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe, has assured that her Ministry is determined to raise the standard of senior secondary education in the State through the engagements of qualified guidance counselors and para-counselors.
Dr. Oviawe made this known to the press in her office in Benin City as part of her Ministry’s regular interaction with stakeholders in the senior secondary education sub-sector.
She said the provision for the inclusion of guidance counselors was considered in the recruitment of 1,000 senior secondary school teachers by the State Government and added that their deployment to schools across the 18 local government areas of the State will be done in September, 2022.
She stressed that the engagement of the guidance counselors is one of the ways to tackle the rot in the education system which has been heightened by the collapse of values as a result of misinformation by unqualified role models in the society especially on the social media space.
In her words, “the Guidance Counselors are expected to guide these youngsters on the right path to follow, considering the volatile nature of their development and exposure. It is worrisome when we hear some people make unguided statements like ‘education is a scam’. Such expressions are borne out of sheer ignorance and confusion; else, illiteracy is no alternative at this height of global competitiveness and technological advancement.
“To consistently keep these young ones on track, the Ministry has also worked out a plan to make every classroom a library. It will help to revive the reading culture in these young minds and for them to possess basic knowledge about management and leadership, which are indispensable skills required to reorient our young generation.”
Dr. Oviawe harped on the collaborative efforts of the schools’ immediate environment with that of the governments in order to achieve the desired results at the earliest opportunity.
She emphasized that no organization can grow above the quality of its leadership, and added that the Education Ministry has designed the School Management Boards (SMbs) for senior secondary schools in order to get the leadership role right.
