Lagos Reiterates Commitment to Continuous Investment in Education

Peace Obi The Lagos State Government has said its continuous investment in education, as well as its drive to become the model of excellence in the provision of education in Africa is borne out of its conviction that education plays a crucial role in stimulating economic development.

The Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, who made this known during the 2015 annual ministerial press briefing, said the outgoing administration in pursuance of the national and international goals on education in addition to the Lagos State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (LASEEDS) objectives, witnessed a renewed resolve in the attainment of its set goals through the introduction of reforms, infrastructure development, capacity building for teachers and non-teaching staff, improved teaching and learning environment, special attention to core subjects, among others and its attendant results.

The commissioner noted that Governor Babatunde Fashola’s emphasis on quality and best practices in the sector has aided achievements recorded in various areas of its operations such as the establishment of four new secondary schools, Sango Junior Secondary School (inclusive), Ajara; Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Ajara-Topa; Community Senior Secondary School, Orisumbare, Ayobo Alomosho; and District Senior College, Meiran, Alimosho.

Highlighting the performances of the ministry, Oladunjoye said the government through its various agencies made efforts to ensure that quality teaching and learning are carried out in a good atmosphere with the procurement and distribution of 10,000 pairs of dual desks and benches to its secondary schools, while 456 classrooms in 28 schools were rehabilitated, construction of fences in 13 schools, even as 13 other schools whose roofs and ceiling were damaged by rainstorm were replaced.

Targeting improved performance in core subjects - English, Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biology- and to ensure adequate preparation for its students for internal and external examinations, she said the state government introduced Saturday coaching in addition to paying for all its SSIII students sitting for the 2015 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Also, she said 14 teachers across the six education districts benefited from Mathematic training/clinics on modern innovative techniques of teaching Mathematics at the National Mathematics Centre (NMC), Abuja. And the training has since been extended to other teachers as not less than 442 mathematics teachers were trained in the process.

In readiness to embrace elearning, Oladunjoye said 400 teachers were trained in ICT, while the state government has through the Lagos Eko Project, consolidated its partnership with Google.

The Eko Project has been working with Google for education team to improve educational outcomes through the deployment of effective and sustainable technology concepts.

“With the aid of technology on the teachers’ platform, a virtual resource portal has been created where teachers can have access to over 1,000 relevant resources to the secondary school curriculum.”

She said three laboratories each were installed in 32 senior secondary schools across the state, while 534,219 books valued at N282,884,324 were procured and distributed to all students in primary and secondary schools, even as the state recorded improvement in reading culture through library usage, as a total of 134,524 readers attended and utilized the services of its libraries and that 77,006 volumes of books were consulted and utilized by all categories of users in 2014, which she said was a landmark for the outgoing administration.