By Ebuanekpe Joy
In a landmark effort to strengthen early childhood education across Edo State, the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), led by its Chairman Barrister Mrs. Onomen Briggs, teamed up with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to deliver a five‑day Reggio Emilia training for pre‑primary educators. From May 6 to 10, the programme unfolded in selected public primary schools across Edo North, Edo Central, and Edo South, ensuring that teachers in every senatorial district could participate without the barrier of distance.
At Agbado Primary School in Edo South, Mrs. Eunice Onwugbagbe, Director of Special Programmes at SUBEB, spoke to reporters on the second day of the workshop. “This training was first planned three years ago,” she explained. “Thanks to Barrister Briggs’s proactive leadership, it’s finally happening—and at different locations in the the state so that more educators benefit.” Mrs. Onwugbagbe stressed that the Reggio Emilia approach—rooted in play, creativity, and child‑led inquiry, offers a powerful way to promote equity and justice in early education.
Under the theme “Promoting Equity and Justice in Play‑Based Pre‑Primary Education,” seasoned facilitators guided participants through hands‑on sessions. Teachers learned to view the classroom environment itself as a “third teacher,” setting up learning centres with local coal, clay, things found in the home—e.g., cooking and eating materials, old newspapers, picture books, beads, and story mats—and were guided in adapting these centres to their own classroom contexts. They practiced documenting children’s ideas and discoveries and explored strategies for bringing families into the learning process.
Meanwhile, Governor Monday Okpebholo’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in education has bolstered these capacity‑building efforts. Statewide renovations and reconstructions are underway—repairing roofs, installing boreholes and fences, and setting up ICT labs—so that newly trained teachers step into safe, stimulating classrooms.
Participants left the training energized and ready to transform their own schools. “Seeing these techniques in a real classroom changed everything for me,” said a participant. “I now know how to follow my pupils’ interests and design real‑time activities like games, picture storytelling, and role play that make learning engaging and promote inclusion considerations.”
By bringing Reggio Emilia training to multiple locations and aligning it with a broader push on infrastructure and staffing, Edo SUBEB, UBEC, and Governor Okpebholo have laid a solid foundation for quality pre‑primary education across the state. With well‑prepared teachers in renovated schools and a child‑centred approach at the heart of every lesson, Edo State is poised to give every young learner the best possible start.
