Obaseki Faces Basic Education Exam Backlash After Suspected Question Leak
Obaseki flanked by Dr Joan Oviawe, Education Commissioner (r) and SUBEB Chairman, Salami
By Midwest Herald
A shocking revelation has emerged about the EdoBEST initiative, a program launched by the outgoing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in Edo state under Governor Godwin Obaseki in 2018.
The initiative, that was touted as a comprehensive reform to transform basic education in the state, has been exposed as a hoax designed to manipulate educational outcomes.
The program, which aimed to accelerate learning by having pupils achieve in a term what would previously have taken a whole year, was met with excitement and optimism.
Public schools plagued by dilapidated classrooms and a lack of teachers, were expected to flourish under EdoBEST.
The results were impressive, with Edo State pupils reportedly outperforming their peers in other schools by 2% in mathematics and 5% in literacy.
However, a closer investigation of the program has revealed a sinister truth.
The Edo State Ministry of Education has been printing and distributing question papers for all subjects ahead of the Basic Education Certificate examination to public school teachers.
This has allowed teachers to coach students on the answers, effectively ensuring that they pass the exams on due date.
The government’s claim of success is thus based on a manufactured outcome, rather than genuine educational improvement.
The true extent of the hoax is only now coming to light, raising questions about the integrity of the EdoBEST initiative and the credibility of the government’s claims.
The question papers for the ongoing June 2024 examinations are now on the streets already printed and given to public school teachers.
The revelation has sparked outrage among educators, especially the private school owners and parents, who are demanding transparency and accountability from the government.
With the truth about EdoBEST now unfolding, it is obvious that this scandal financed with Edo tax monies will negatively impact the future of education in Edo State.
It will be recalled that the education sector under Mr. Obaseki has been received with mixed feelings, especially as the performances has not matched the over N300bn the government claimed to have spent.
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