By Joe Erharuyi
The Commissioner for Education in Edo State, Dr. Joan Osa-Oviawe, has attributed the excellent performance of Edo State in the 2021 diet of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examinations to the ongoing holistic reforms of the education sector in the State.
Oviawe who said this in Benin City on Monday, August 22, 2022 while commenting on the State’s best ranking by WAEC, explained that what the State is doing differently is that it has a very robust and holistic vision for education reforms as encapsulated in the Edo State Basic Education Sector Transformation program (EdoBEST) and EdoBEST 2.0, initiated by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government.
According to WAEC, Edo State emerged the best State in the 2021 diet of the West African Examinations Council examinations recording 92.8 per cent pass rate among students who sat for the examination in the State.
The state also came second in the ranking of the pass rate among public schools who wrote the examination across Nigeria in 2021, WAEC added.
According to the data, Edo came first in the national tally with 92.8 percent of students passing the exams with five credits, including English and Mathematics.
The education commissioner said that Governor Obaseki has the leadership capability, the political will and financial commitment even under very challenging conditions, considering the current economic state of Nigeria.
In her words, “For us in the last four years of education reforms, we have seen tremendous gains in foundational literacy and numeracy with more expectations at the senior secondary and the technical and vocational levels.”
The Commissioner assured that the EdoBEST reforms are not mere frivolities but serious system strengthening work in resuscitating the near collapsed education system inherited by the present administration.
She added that the State’s education system will not rely on individuals to thrive, but on people’s process in relation to institutions.
She further said that the aggregation of Governor Obaseki’s reforms and investments in education and other sectors of the State will make it a first-world State in a third-world country.
Dr. Oviawe expressed appreciation to the staff and teachers in the education ecosystem of the State, as they have contributed immensely to the latest achievements.
She said the State encourages hard work and dissuades examination malpractices by significantly closing the loopholes for “miracle centres” which led to many perpetrators leaving the State.
She added, “We will continue to drive the essentials for proper education and learning for our children so that in not too long a time, examination malpractice will not be part of our conversations in Edo State.”
She stated that a new session resumes on 12th September, 2022 and urged parents and guardians to send their children and wards to school promptly as learning starts on the first day of resumption.
She admonished parents to play their role of providing the needed academic materials for the students as the Ministry has perfected plans for robust academic outing beginning with the time table and book list.
Oviawe reiterated that although the State appreciates the feat, it will not be complacent about such achievements as it has a very ambitious vision of ranking among the world’s best.
She reiterated the Child Rights’ Law of the Federal Government which has been domesticated in the State and provides for the prosecution of parents or guardians of children who are found loitering during school hours or those not properly fed or equipped with learning materials.
The commissioner added that those in need of house help should make provisions for the education of such persons who are of school age as the State will not tolerate the practice of leaving any child behind academically in the State.
