Foundation Calls for More Teachers, Teaching Aids in Edo Schools

By Lucky Isibor

Edo State Government has been urged to recruit more teachers into the state's public schools, provide more infrastructure to enhance teaching and learning experience and restructure the curriculum with a view to accomodating the use of more teaching aids.

Participants in a group photograph at the close out ceremony 

The Chief Responsibility Officer of Josemaria Escriva Foundation, (JOSEF) Ekpoma, Dr. Jude Obasanmi made the call in his welcome address at the close out ceremony of the "Teachers for Effective Service Delivery" (TESD), a project the foundation executed in some selected public primary schools in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State in partnership with the TY Danjuma Foundation.

While enumarating the project locations at the close out ceremony held on Monday, 17 October at Akho Primary School, Irrua, Obasanmi said, "the Project aimed at addressing the 'Drop out' syndrome amongst secondary school girls in Imoga community of Akoko-Edo local government area of Edo state, through enhanced education, mentoring and entrepreneurship, implementation of educational intervention: 'Teachers for Effective Service Delivery,' (TESD) project, the 'Learn at Home Project' that held as a result of closure of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic"; adding that over one thousand and two hundred school children who had no access to the internet in Esan West Local Government Area, were reached during the Covid-19 lockdown.

While revealing that over forty teachers were trained through the TESD project in Esan West Local Government Area, Dr Obasanmi pointed out that thirty teachers were also trained in Esan Central Local Government Area as a result of the baseline study which revealed the need for such intervention in the area. 

"Based on the Baseline survey, which revealed the need for such intervention in Esan Central Local Government Area, the Foundation, through the financial and technical support from TY Danjuma Foundation, successfully implemented the TESD project in Esan Central LGA in 2022 where 30 teachers from 10 public primary schools were trained on the design and use of Teaching and Learning Materials, TLMs... " 

According to the Chief Responsibility Officer, CRO, of JOSEF, the ten public schools where the TESD project were implemented in Esan Central Local Government Area, also received items for the design of TLMs that are all courtesy of TY Danjuma Foundation pointing out that the activities of JOSEF have led to increase in pupils' enrollment in public primary schools in the 2022/2023 academic session. 

Thanking the TY Danjuma Foundation for finding Josemaria Escava Foundation worthy to implement the intervention, Obasanmi also gave kudos to the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Edo state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, the pupils of the various schools covered and Professor Matthew Izibili, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of JOSEF, as well as other members of the Board for their support during the implementation of the project.

In her remarks, Miss Tomi Ajayi who represented TY Danjuma Foundation, thanked JOSEF for successfully implementing the project.

High point of the event was the presentation of certificates of participation to teachers who participated in the trainings.

Present at the close out ceremony were Miss Tomi Ajayi, who represented TY Danjuma Foundation, Mrs. Oni from the Ministry of Education, Esan Central Local Government Area, Mr. Onoigboria, Chairman, School Based Management Committee, Osarumese JP and Mr. Temitope Otokiti, both from Edo Best.