Nobel laureate applauds teaching technique in Edo primary schools
Prof. Michael Kremer, the winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics Sciences, has applauded the teaching methodology underpinning Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBest).
Kremer, an American development economist and professor in Economics and Public Policy at the University of Chicago, U.S.A., says EdoBest delivered impressive learning outcomes.
He made the declaration in his report after his ground-breaking study into the EdoBest methodology developed by NewGlobe, an education technical partner.
A copy of the report was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Benin.
The don stated that the learning gains in the technology-based innovative teaching and learning technique, were among the “largest ever measured in international education’’.
He stated also that the education methodology that started in Kenya before Nigeria, found that primary and middle school pupils gained almost an additional year of learning (0.89) under the integrated methodology.
This, he added, implied that beneficiaries learned in two years what their peers learned in nearly three.
“The impact is among the greatest of any rigorously studied intervention in emerging markets.
“For Early Childhood Development pupils, the gains were even times bigger.
“Those pupils gained almost an additional year-and-half of learning (1.48); learning in two years what their peers in other schools learned in three-and-a-half years,’’ he stated.
The findings, which were published by the University of Chicago, reported that a pupil in Primary One (approximately 7 years old) was three times more likely to be able to read when taught using the method.
“Assuming similar impacts over the course of a student’s primary schooling, those in NewGlobe supported schools would receive 53 per cent more education over the course of their early childhood and primary school career,’’ Kremer said in the report.
NAN reports that the NewGlobe’s methodology was adopted in Edo primary school system in 2018, gaining support of the World Bank because of the impressive outcomes.
Gov. Godwin Obaseki extended the education reform to Junior Secondary Schools in 2021, including the schools in the hard-to-reach areas, popularly referred to as progressive schools.
The integrated approach to teaching and learning is now being embraced by Kwara under the name KwaraLEARN, and Lagos, EkoEXCEL. (NAN)
