Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has said one of the nation’s biggest challenges is its dysfunctional educational system, noting that the state has set parameters to close 50 per cent education gap in the country.

Obaseki, who noted that the government is emphasising strengthening foundational learning and improving learning outcomes, said: “The drop in the ratio between primary six and Senior Secondary School (SSS) one is 50 per cent. Until we focus on that, we would continue to have problems in education.”

Speaking recently, the governor said the gap is the result of lack of communication, and close relationship between primary and secondary schools. He said: “For us, it is about people focusing on talents. We realised that foundational learning was very weak, and we saw this when we had to deal with the issue of human trafficking. We have invested hugely in the past six years to strengthen foundational learning, because without that you can’t build anything else in terms of developing talents.

“We’ve looked again at the entire educational policy. The biggest challenge we have is dysfunctional system. 25 years ago, we changed our educational policy, but we didn’t realign that change with reality.”

He further said that the state is supporting vocational training and partnering various companies in areas of technology, training children on technology and entertainment.

The governor added: “For us, it’s about less certificates, more handiwork, as we’re focusing on technical education. So, we have revamped our College of Agriculture, College of Nursing Sciences, Technical Colleges and Colleges of Education.

IN another development, the state government has called for collaboration and support of nursing professionals in the state to sustain ongoing revamp of the state’s healthcare system, assuring of improved welfare and other incentives to guarantee effective and efficient healthcare service delivery to Edo people.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Samuel Alli, made the call when he received members of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), led by its Chairman, Catherine Esene, on a courtesy visit to his office, in Benin City.

Reassuring them of state government’s commitment to improving access to quality healthcare delivery to Edo people, the Commissioner said the state government is strengthening efforts to check quackery.

He further noted that government is also strengthening regulations and sustaining investment in the sector to ensure structural improvement in medical facilities throughout the state, as part of efforts to reposition the state as a medical hub in the country.