As governor I shall move quickly to advance key education priorities in Edo state. Long-term investment in
education must and will be my major focus throughout my tenures.
A healthy teacher pipeline is critical to ensuring the future economic health and competitiveness of the
state.
From teacher pay to school infrastructure to workforce readiness.
Every child deserves to attend school in a building that provides a safe and healthy learning environment.
Many aspects of education have changed over the past several decades; expectations of both students and
teachers are rightfully higher as educators work to prepare all students for college and future careers.
The systems designed to support and train teachers have remained largely the same.
Teachers are still underpaid; they do not have access to the kinds of training and advancement
opportunities that are outlined for the course in other professions; and the profession has not done enough
to diversify, even as the students served in schools come from increasingly diverse backgrounds.
This mismatch between expectations and the supports and opportunities needed to meet them may partly
explain the declining interest in teacher preparation programmes across the state.
A growing body of research indicates that adequately funding education can make a big difference in
student outcomes, particularly among low-income students.
In Edo state, the students and under graduate students who would most benefit from attending wellfunded schools do not receive the additional funding needed to support their success.
To remedy this situation and ensure that all students, particularly those whose needs are greatest, have
access to adequate educational resources,
If elected as governor of Edo state I shall create a commission of experts to review the state’s existing
funding formula.
This analysis might determine, for example, how to provide more funding to the students and schools who
need it most.
The commission should also develop recommendations for improving state education funding equity and
ensuring that all students attend schools that are funded adequately and meet their needs.
Such a commission should do a needs analysis for the state to determine which aspects of the teacher
pipeline are most in need of attention, such as recruitment; retention; diversity of the workforce; selectivity
and quality of teacher preparation; salaries for all teachers, as well as for teachers in high-need locales and
in specific subject areas; teacher shortages; and other factors.
A commission of this type should make targeted recommendations to the governor and state legislature
for discrete policy actions they can take in the near term to begin to address the areas that most need
reform.
For school that have already done an analysis of the greatest needs, the commission could focus on a
particular area, such as recruitment and retention in rural areas or higher starting salaries for new teachers.
I will hit the ground running by penning executive actions, upon assuming office I will set up and do the
following .
1) Establish a school infrastructure task force:
2) Convene a funding formula commission
3) Create a commission charged with modernizing and elevating the teaching profession
4) Issue a declaration of students’ right to be free from discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity,
and gender expression
5) Issue a directive to redesign high schools and improve workforce readiness
6) Form a task force to align school schedules and services with the needs of working families
7) Set up a task force on school safety and positive school climate
8) Establish a commission on the status of civics education
9) Launch a task force on sexual health and education in schools
10) Issue a proclamation on the need for evidence-based, positive approaches to school discipline
11) Set up a monitoring team task force
Barr Guobadia Governorship Aspirant Edo state.