The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has disclosed his administration’s resolve to commence refurbishment of public schools in the state, urging for support and cooperation of the School-Based Management Committees.

He disclosed this during a training for School-Based Management Committee of Emotan Primary School in Benin City, Edo State, on Thursday.

Obaseki said that government will work in agreement with the committee, communities and other relevant stakeholders on the refurbishment of schools, noting, “President Muhammadu Buhari through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has provided enough fund to embark on this purpose. Massive revamp will commence in the state soon.”

The governor said the School-Based Management Committees will include members of the communities, parents and stakeholders in the governance and administration of schools across the state, as they will act as catalysts for progress.

He added that his administration has decided to revamp the state’s basic education system, noting, “If I achieved nothing as governor of Edo State, I want it to be on record that I came and turned around the basic education system in Edo State for good.”

He continued, “the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo-BEST) programme was introduced to enable us go back to the foundation which must be solid as this will enable our children to face the challenges ahead. What is taught in the first six to nine years of education will certainly affect the child, as it will become difficult to cope with the challenges of life if they get it wrong at that level.”

The governor maintained that for such a system to work, the schools must be run properly, and the headteachers should be able to monitor the teachers daily using Information Communication Technology (ICT) gadgets.

“We can't play politics with education and the lives of our children. The whole idea of creating multiple schools to have multiple headteachers is not right. We can't have three schools in one premise; it will not work. For those schools that need to be merged, we will merge them and continue to train our teachers and improve their welfare.”

Interacting with pupils of Emotan Primary School, Governor Obaseki reassured them that the state government will commence the school feeding programme of the Federal Government in the school next term.

Welcoming the governor, Special Adviser to the Governor on Basic Education and the Chairman, State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), Dr. Joan Osa Oviawe, said the training is going on in Oredo, Ikpoba-Okha and Orhionmwon Local Government Areas, adding that the exercise will commence in Uhunmwode Local Government Area next week.

“All together, we have trained about 11,638 School-Based Management Committees across the state,” she added.

Chairman of School-Based Management Committee and Chairman, Parents Teachers Association (PTA), Emotan Primary School, Deacon Richard Asemota, said the PTA improved three offices of the school’s headmistresses with electricity.

He added that they have also put in place a sickbay in the school as well as constructed gates to check incursion of hoodlums into the school.



PHOTO 1:
Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki (left) addressing members of the School-Based Management Committee of Emotan Primary School, Benin City, during a training session for the committee, on Thursday, November 29, 2018.

PHOTO 2:
Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, with pupils of Emotan Primary School in Benin City, Edo State, Thursday, November 29, 2018, during a visit to the school. With them are the chairman and members of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

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