Lagos Set To Shut Down Illegal Schools

In a determined effort to ensure that private schools operating in the state conform to the quality standard of education set by the state government and deliver quality service like their public counterparts, Lagos state government said it would commence census of all private schools operating in the state effective from 26 September, 2016 while all unregistered private schools in the state will be closed down.
The enumeration/census exercise, according to the state government, is aimed at providing the state government with accurate data and necessary information on private schools so as to set effective quality control mechanism in place and monitor compliance.
Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr.  Idiat Oluranti Adebule, who disclosed this Monday at the 3rd quarterly stakeholders’ forum of private schools owners held at the Secretariat, Alausa Ikeja,  stated that the state government is  determined  to  ensure  that all school children in the state  have access to quality education irrespective of whether they attend  private or public schools, adding that part of the tools at the government’s disposal to achieve this is to have accurate and precise data on schools and their mode of operation, which she said  the school census intended to achieve.
The deputy governor, who sought the cooperation of all the stakeholders, especially Proprietors of private schools to ensure the success of the exercise, noted that the task of making  Lagos education a role model of excellence required that all stakeholders must consolidate on their energies, integrate their thought and ideals and work together as a team towards achieving the objective.
Adebule,  while noting that  the foundation of quality human capital development is the primary and secondary institutions,  stated that all  the relevant stakeholders in the education sector must be ready to follow the rules of engagement which she listed to  include; ensuring that only qualified professionals with requisite training are recruited, providing good infrastructure for learning  such as libraries, science laboratories  as well as encouraging co-curricular activities such as debates, literary, science and sport competitions, voluntary societies or clubs so as to produce well rounded students that would help to drive the nation’s economy in the future.
The deputy governor who announced that  a total of 119 prospective school  owners that applied for registration  have been granted   provisional approval having met the guidelines set by the state government,  warned that the state government will no longer allow private schools that are not duly registered and approved by the state Ministry of Education to operate in the state, nothing that government’s attempt to capture all schools irrespective of their approval status was frustrated as most unregistered schools failed to take the advantage of the easy procedure put in place by the state government.
“Government is not comfortable with our discovery that over 15,000 private schools are operating in the state and only just 4,556 are approved and registered. Let me state it clearly, henceforth, Lagos State Government will no longer allow private schools that are not duly registered by the Lagos State Ministry of Education to operate in the state, their operation becomes illegal henceforth in the state,’’ she warned.
The deputy governor explained that the state government is taking steps to intensify the upgrade of public schools facilities through construction and rehabilitation of more classrooms, libraries and laboratories. She further disclosed that the State Executive Council recently approved the sum of 10 billion naira for capital projects in public schools to cover construction, renovation and rehabilitation to ensure conducive learning environment in public schools.
Earlier in his welcome address, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mr Adeshina Odeyemi stated that the forum aimed at evaluating educational progress of private schools students in the state and how to bring about positive development.
He urged private school owners to cooperate with the state government in the implementation of quality educational policies and programmes that would help to raise the standard of education in the state.