The Edo State House of Assembly has commenced a major legislative overhaul of the state’s secondary education system, advancing a bill seeking to repeal the 38-year-old Bendel State Education Edict of 1988 and establish a dedicated board for the administration of senior secondary schools in Edo State.
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The proposed legislation passed second reading on Monday, paving the way for further legislative scrutiny as the Assembly moves to replace the old education framework with a structure lawmakers say is better suited to present-day educational realities.
Leading debate on the bill, the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Ojezelle Osezua, said the continued operation of the 1988 Bendel State Education Edict was no longer consistent with the needs of a rapidly changing society.
He argued that laws must evolve with social and institutional developments and should not remain static where the circumstances they were originally enacted to regulate have significantly changed.
According to Osezua, the bill is intended to provide a legal framework for the establishment of an Edo State Secondary School Board, which would take responsibility for the administration and management of senior secondary schools across the state.
He explained that the proposed board would complement the work of the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, which currently oversees basic education, including primary and junior secondary schools.
Osezua said creating a separate body for senior secondary education would allow the state to give greater administrative attention to that level of schooling and improve coordination, supervision and management.
The proposed structure would therefore separate the administration of senior secondary education from the existing basic education framework, with lawmakers arguing that the arrangement would create a clearer division of responsibilities within the state’s education system.
Seconding the motion, the Minority Leader, Hon. Natasha Osawaru Idibia, supported the repeal of the old law and the establishment of the new board.
She said the proposed legislation would strengthen the administration of senior secondary schools and provide a more effective institutional framework for managing the sector.
Hon. Maria Edekor and other lawmakers who contributed to the debate also backed the bill, stressing the need for Edo State to modernise its education laws and align them with contemporary demands.
Following contributions by members, the House referred the bill to the House Committee on Education for further legislative consideration.
The committee is chaired by Hon. Donald Okogbe, who represents Akoko-Edo II Constituency.
The committee is expected to examine the details of the proposed legislation before reporting back to the House for further consideration.
If eventually passed and assented to, the bill would formally replace the 1988 Bendel State Education Edict in the areas covered by the new legislation and establish a dedicated institutional structure for the management of senior secondary education in Edo State.
The move forms part of broader efforts by the Assembly to update older laws inherited from the former Bendel State era and strengthen governance structures in key sectors.
Meanwhile, the House also received a letter from Governor Monday Okpebholo requesting the timely amendment of the Edo State Child Rights Law.
The governor’s request was referred for legislative consideration as part of efforts to update the state’s legal framework governing child protection and welfare.
Details of the specific amendments being proposed to the Child Rights Law were not contained in the information presented before the House.
In a separate development during the sitting, lawmakers observed a minute’s silence in honour of the late Chief Dan Orbih, a prominent Edo politician and former National Vice-Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Members paid tribute to Orbih and acknowledged his contributions to politics and public life in Edo State.
The education bill will now proceed through the committee stage, where its provisions are expected to receive closer scrutiny before the House determines whether to advance it toward final passage.
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