Edo State government has reaffirmed commitments to quality education in the state and urged all stakeholders to support teachers and encourage students to create the environment for the sector to thrive.
The state government made the appeal recently at the seventh edition of the Edo State Teacher’s Awards Gala organised by the Okonofua Foundation in Benin City, where it called on stakeholders to make the goal a reality for every child in the state.
The state Commissioner for Education, Dr Joan Osa Oviawe, who was represented by the former Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Ero Ugiagbe stressed that education remains the bedrock of any society, adding that government had made it its mission to build a robust educational system that equips students with the knowledge, skills and values needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world in the state.
The commissioner noted that the mission could not be achieved without the commitment, passion and professionalism of the teachers
Oviawe added that the journey to educational excellence is a continuous one and urged every teacher in the state to keep striving for improvement. She also counselled that the world is evolving, hence the methods of teaching and preparing the students must also change not just for the challenges of today but for the opportunities of tomorrow
The commissioner expressed gratitude to the Okonofua Foundation for its commitment to education in the state and the efforts it put in organising the events.
The Okonfua Foundation, Oviawe recalled, had supported teachers in the state in more commendable ways which reflected the foundation’s understandings of the crucial role education played in societal development.
Welcoming the awardees and other dignitaries to the occasion, the Executive Director of the Okonofua Foundation, Dr Benjamin Okonofua, noted that education had been regarded as the cornerstone of societal progress, a belief which he said was held dearly by the late Chief Salu Oniha Okonofua.
Benjamin Okonofua, who was represented by Mrs Tega Ogbewe, said that the life of the late Okonofua revolved around the conviction that education is more than just a fundamental right. Rather, it is a transformative tool that can uplift individuals and communities.
He noted that the late Chief Okonofua envisioned a world where illiteracy will be eradicated and every child and adult could read and write
He further disclosed that the Salu Oniha Okonofua Foundation in partnership with the Edo State Ministry of Education, embarked on a mission in 2018 to celebrate excellence within the teaching profession thereby bringing Chief Okonofua ‘s dream closer to reality.
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