Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Edo State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Joan Ovaiwe, has appealed to partnership agencies in the educational sector to remain in the state even after the end of the administration of governor Godwin Obaseki with the view of consolidating on the gains recorded in the sector for the past years in the state.
She made the appeal while fielding questions from Journalists shortly after the end of a two-day training Cascade on Gender and Disability Inclusion in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), organized by GIZ-SKYE in partnership with the Edo State government in Benin.
Dr. Oviawe said that the state government has done a lot in the educational sector by attracting more partners to help drive the process adding that it hopes that partner like GIZ-SKYE sticks around and show same commitment to the incoming administration.
“We are hopeful that a lot of what we have done will be sustained because the work we have done in the last eight years in terms of education is a deep rooted work and it is not surface level work.
“And fortunately for us also, we also have partner like GIZ who will still remain in the state. So, one of the appeal we have made to them and others, is even when governor Godwin Obaseki is leaving, governor Obaseki decisive and visionary leadership attracted a lot of these development partners to Edo.
“Our appeal to them now is that even while Governor Obaseki tenure is ending, they don’t also pack up and leave. That they stay on and continue to support the people of Edo because what GIZ is doing, and has done for us in the education sector, employment sector, are things that must continue. So, they bring another layer, an institutional memory. So I am sure any government of the day will listen to them”, Oviawe said.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Secretary of Edo state TVE Board Dr, Terseer Nyulaku, represented by Mercy Isibor, the Director of Learning Development, BTVE, emphasised the need for inclusive practices in TVET, stating, “By ensuring that every individual, regardless of their background, has access to quality training.
Helen Igboka, the GIZ SKYE Programme Component Manager, Gender and Inclusion, stated that competency and skills is not gender or disability based, rather it’s based on the ability of the individual to learn, giving the right learning environment where barriers to learning such as harmful cultural norms, lack of assistive devices and inaccessible infrastructure hindering the ability of a set of persons from reaching their full potential is removed.
It will be said that the programme is aimed at building the capacity of 25 TVET trainers and instructors from 5 technical and vocational Colleagues; Benin TC, Afuze TC, Usugbenu TC, Igarra TC, and Ehor TC Programme, with the aim of fostering inclusivity in education.
Each trainer is expected to improve competency on how to address the unique challenges faced by learners, particularly women and persons with disabilities (PWDs).