Obaseki approves salaries for new teachers

By Usman Aliyu

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo has approved appointment letters, allowances and salaries for all categories of teachers recently recruited in the state.

Mrs Ozavize Salami, Executive Chairman, Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), announced this on Friday at the graduation ceremony of pedagogically trained teachers and headteachers in the state.

According to her, 232 junior secondary school principals, 744 junior secondary school teachers, 148 headteachers and 1,358 EdoSTAR fellows graduated after the training

She said they would be posted to teach in progressive schools and junior secondary schools across the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while EdoSTAR stands for Edo Supporting Teachers to Achieve Result under the state’s EdoBest Education Reform Programme, progressive schools are schools in riverine, rural and hard-to-reach communities.

Salami noted that the state had designed and implemented a robust school supervisory system that would facilitate on-the-spot teachers support and routine teachers professional development.

Teachers, she said must be held accountable for translating the investment of the state in education into learning outcome.

The SUBEB boss asserted that the era of teachers not being trained or upskilled for 15 years was over in the state because children would have to perform better.

In his address, Gov. Obaseki said the recruitment of the young, vibrant, professional and aspiring teaching personnel was a response to the gap of teachers gap in the classrooms.

The governor described teachers as the most valuable resource in delivery of public service of basic education, hence the reason his government prioritised their recruitment, replacement and upskilling.

Obaseki commended teachers in the state, saying their efforts had changed the culture in all classes in the state to meet the international best practices.

This, he said was achieved through the use of technology to manage attendance, teaching content and supporting pupils learning process.

He, however, charged the EdoSTAR fellows to work hard during their three years of fellowship, assuring the committed one of their absorption into the public service. (NAN)