*…applaud digital teaching in schools, others transformative reforms

Edo students from Anglican Girls Grammar School (AGGS), Benin City, who represented the State at the just-concluded national quiz competition sponsored by MTN Foundation, have attributed their remarkable and outstanding performance in the highly competitive national quiz contest to the transformative education reforms implemented by Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.

The 15-year-old secondary school students, including Theresa John Parkson, Benita Omosefe Omonzejele, and Best Osasogie Edobor brought pride to their School and State after outperforming schools from across the country to clinch the second position at the 2023 MTN Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP) Quiz Competition.

The trio had earlier emerged as the best performers in the South-South region, securing their spot to represent the region in the quiz tourney, competing among the six best schools from the 36 States of the Country at the finale recently held in Abuja.

Speaking to journalists in Benin City after their successful outing, Best Osasogie, the leaders of the team hailed the governor for prioritizing investment in education, noting that the government’s digital teaching contributed immensely to their success at the national competition.

According to her, their impressive outing was a reflection of the dedication and commitment of both the students and their teachers, who have embraced the new educational paradigm introduced by Governor Obaseki with a focus on enhancing the quality of teaching, providing modern learning facilities, and promoting innovative teaching methods.

She said, “The reforms by the Governor have raised the bar for education in Edo State, ensuring that we receive a quality education that is on par with international standards. I am especially impressed with the digital teaching methods across schools in the State and immensely grateful to the governor for his transformative initiatives, which have enabled us to compete and achieve outstanding results at the national level.”

Sharing the story of their journey, Omosefe Omonzejele said, “Though the journey was challenging, stressful, and tough, we are glad that the sleepless nights finally paid off. We had an impressive outing but we are confident to do even better in future competitions.”

She added, “Governor Obaseki's education reforms in the education have been instrumental in shaping our educational journey and preparing us for this national quiz competition. The emphasis on digital teaching methods, access to educational resources, and the overall improvement in the education sector have laid the foundation for our success. We are grateful to the governor for prioritizing education and investing in our future.”

The education sector in Edo State has undergone a significant transformation under the Obaseki-led government with a total overhaul and massive improvement in the overall system.

The government has in the past six years focused on delivering superior learning outcomes to students by investing in the professional development of teachers, (employing and training quality teachers to achieve set targets); training and equipping supervisors and quality assurance officers; developing state-owned schools in remote areas and sensitizing parents on the need to send their children to school.