By Patrick Ochoga, Benin City
The Chairman of the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr. Joan Oviawe, has said the plan by the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Edo state is needless just as she noted that teachers in the are among the best treated in the country.
Dr. Oviawe, while fielding ‎questions from journalists on the planned strike by primary school teachers in the state, said governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration was the most teacher-friendly government in the country.
“There is no basis for the strike, the governor has done‎ much for teachers. Edo State Government does not have any issue with anybody, government has been very pro teachers”, she said.
The SUBEB Chairman however stated that only three Local Government Councils in the state were owing primary school teachers allowances.
She disclosed‎ that the Board has trained 11,400 teachers in the last two years, stressing that Edo was the only state that has trained such high number teachers in the country, even as she further disclosed that community-based teachers would be recruited and trained this year.
Dr. Oviawe while debunking claim in the public that it costs the Board N1.5 million to train a teacher‎, pointing out that the cost of training a teacher was less than N5,000.
She announced that phase two of Edo Basic Education Transformation Sector ‎(EDOBEST) which will focus on quality of education and building a system that works, would be launched this year.
Besides, she‎ said the Board would launch five campaigns this year, stressing “skills acquisition is a strong part of our curriculum going forward”.
