… organizes seminar on safeguarding
The Lagos State Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA) has organised a three-day intervention seminar for stakeholders and owners of private schools operating in the State.
The seminar is geared towards ensuring that schools adhere to the best practices in safeguarding and protecting every child within the walls of learning in Lagos.
In her address at the opening ceremony held on Tuesday at the Adeyemi-Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Ikeja, the Director-General of OEQA, Mrs. Abiola Seriki-Ayeni stated that the theme of the seminar: “Safeguarding and Child Protection in Schools”, is apt as schools have a duty to ensure that students under their care are safeguarded and protected.
According to her, private schools are institutions of learning hence they have to comply with standards of learning as well as safeguard and protect their students within the school premises
In her words: “Today’s event is very important because it provides the platform to deliberate on the safety and protection of our children in schools. The importance and relevance of the theme of today’s seminar cannot be overemphasised, as we all know, children of school age face considerable challenges like bullying, violence and exposure to indecencies on the internet among others, hence the need for this kind of deliberation by all stakeholders on how best to keep the students safe within the walls of the school”.
The Director-General commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his commitment to ensuring that every child in Lagos State would not just have access to quality education but also that they are safe and protected while in school.
She noted that the State Government, through the OEQA has come up with a number of policies to improve and enhance the quality of education for children in the State which includes the Lagos Learning Together and Lagos State Safeguarding and Child Protection policy among others.
Seriki-Ayeni, however, averred that both government and private school owners have a shared responsibility in ensuring that children are safe and protected while in school, urging schools’ authority to ensure effective monitoring of children is not in any way compromised.
While stating that no quality education can take place when the children are unsafe, the Director-General maintained that everybody has the responsibility to support the protection of children, stressing that safeguarding children is not just about installing fire extinguishers and perimeter fencing but, more about putting in place ideal procedures and standards.
The Director, Private Education and Special Programmes in the Office, Mrs. Falayi Bambi emphasised the need for private schools to be properly registered with the State Government in order to enjoy some benefits, which include access to soft loans and capacity-building opportunities for Teachers.
One of the facilitators from the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), Mrs. Mumuni Omotoyosi urged schools to ensure due diligence in the recruitment of staff and teachers as well as report any case of sexual violence in their schools to the agency, noting that no school will be ridiculed or penalised for reporting such cases.
She said cases of domestic and sexual violence can be reported to the DSVA office in Alausa, Ikeja through a visit or by calling the toll-free number 08000333333 (24/7) for a prompt response.
