Edo Records 20,000 Increase in Public School Enrolment

Edo State Government said it has recorded 20,000 increment in the enrolment of pupils into public primary schools since it introduced the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation known as Edo BEST in April last year.

It said the increment showed parents were withdrawing their pupils from private schools to public schools.

Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Joan Oviawe, who spoke to newsmen in Bénin City, said the state government has built electronic database of all pupils in its school.

Dr. Oviawe said the database including academic records now helped the state government track pupils and their movement from school to school.

Oviawe states that additional 4600 would soon be trained as the state government expanded that the Edo BEST programme to 345 schools across the state.

She noted that the tablets distributed to teachers under the Edo BEST have helped to exposed some teachers attitude to work and how long they stay in school.

The SUBEB chairman said the Edo BEST attracted the attention of Facebook who has offered to build internet in some selected schools.

According to her, “Under the Edo BEST, we have achieved a lot. We have trained 7000 teachers and distributed over 800,000 textbooks.

“We have trained 11688 persons from communities where our schools are located to help manage the schools in terms of protection from theft and vandalism.

“Edo has access about N9bn from UBEC and we are currently working on 232 schools. 56 of the schools are new while 2000 classrooms are being renovated. We are in the process of procuring furniture.”