Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Education, has given approval for the establishment of 173 Private Schools across the five divisions as part of efforts to entrench inclusiveness in the educational sector.
The Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo made this known while issuing letters of approval to the beneficiaries at a ceremony held in Ikeja.
She noted the present administration’s passion for partnering with critical stakeholders in the Private Education Sector as a catalyst to take education in the State to the next level.
“Despite the fact that the number of schools in Lagos, especially in the private sector, has increased tremendously, the yawning gap between demand and supply clearly shows that more schools are needed to meet our educational target. We need more private schools to come on board for us to be able to cater to the ever-increasing educational needs of a fast-growing metropolis like ours”, she said.
Adefisayo, therefore, urged all School owners to reflect excellence in their service delivery, integrate 21st century skills into their teaching methods, make provision for special students, employ only qualified teachers, emphasise digital literacy and adhere to the recommended curriculum for teaching.
While enjoining school owners to improve on the situation which earned them the approval, Director, Private Education and Special Programmes, Mrs. Adetutu Adebowale stressed the need to maintain the standard that earned them the approval of the State government.
She opined that private school operators could not afford to fail in their complementary role needed to move the sector to greater heights.
Responding on behalf of the private nursery and primary schools, Mrs. Anidebe Chinyelu urged the Ministry to always make the new curriculum available on time, update the current curriculum and initiate enlightenment programmes aimed at dissuading parents from encouraging their children to skip primary six.
In the same vein, Captain Femi Olaiya, representing the secondary school sector, encouraged the Ministry to utilise all available media to disseminate information on the criteria for approval to school owners and also hasten the process.
