The governor, who said this when he hosted the teachers to a lunch at the Government House, in Benin City, noted that the state government is working to institutionalize the structures that support the program to make it sustainable.
The governor appreciated the teachers, NUT and SUBEB for being committed to the Edo-BEST program, saying he would work closely with them to achieve the desired transformation in the basic education sector.
He promised that more investment would be put in the sector to fast-track the implementation of the Edo-BEST program, adding, “We will invest in more facilities in our schools, and regulate private primary schools to see how the pupils in the schools benefit from the programme.”
The governor said an evaluation of the program would be done at the end of the 2017/2018 academic year to ascertain areas that would require improvement before the initiative would be extended to more schools in the state.
He urged the state chapter of NUT to support the state government in getting teachers to be more committed to their duties, noting that his administration was ready to pay for services rendered.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Basic Education and Acting Chairman of Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe, stated that the Head teachers and teachers were selected to have lunch with the governor based on their outstanding performance in their schools and classrooms.
She said the new Edo SUBEB administrative style is based on merit and not sentiments, adding that “we want to banish the demons of favoritism, nepotism and cronyism from our teaching corps, so that everybody’s work and value added is what will speak for them and attract reward to them and not who they know.”
She said the teachers to be rewarded were picked based on their positive attitude to work, creativity and mastery of the Edo BEST teaching pedagogy, noting, “Although there are more outstanding Head teachers and Teachers that have been invited to lunch, however, this is only the first step. There are more rewards and avenues for recognition in the pipeline. Essentially, government will reward excellence and penalise mediocrity.”
