UNGA 2019: World Bank commends Governor Obaseki on education reforms
By Samuel Onyekwere.
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, has been commended for his
recent reforms in the education sector by the World Bank.
The accolade was
handed out by the World Bank Group at a seminar in the United Nation
General Assembly in New York. The seminar which took place on Monday,
September 23,2019, was part of the side events to discuss and
highlight institutions and Edo state, in particular, and how they are
working to eliminate learning poverty.
Edo State, recognized as one of Africa’s education trailblazers is
leading in the actualization of the Sustainable Development Goal for
education (SDG4) aimed at ensuring that all boys and girls
have access to free, equitable and quality primary and secondary
education by the year 2030.
The World Bank has been closely monitoring Edo state government on its ongoing innovation in the public education reform program. The program
tagged ‘EdoBEST’ (Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation) is a
comprehensive program aimed at developing state education across five
pillars of work: governance, teachers’ training and development,
community partnerships, infrastructure, and the local education board.
EdoBest has been improving the standard of state primary and junior secondary
schools by partnering with the private sector as the
initiative is transforming learning outcomes for around 300,000
children in 1,500 schools over a four year period in Edo state.
The World Bank estimates that only half of the children in low and
middle-income countries can read and understand well by their late
primary age. States like Edo have viable programs to address this
challenge and Governor Obaseki, is an example of a leader that is
trying to achieve the SDG4 urgently taking actions to eradicate
education crisis in his state.
Other development experts and leaders who spoke at the event include:
World Bank Vice President for Human Development, Annette Dixon;
Executive Director of UNICE, Henrietta Fore; Chair- Girls Not Brides,
Mabel Van Oranje; 2019 Global Teacher Prize Winner, Peter Tabichi
among other leading innovators across the world.
