Press Releases

Lagos Says No Going Back on Closed Substandard Private Schools

Jan 7, 2008 - Lagos State Government on Monday restated that there was no going back on the decision to close down all private schools that do not possess its approval and conform to standard.

The State Government also directed that all schools that have not gotten the approval of the state government to run private would still remain shut as the state government would not sit by and allow the future of the young ones to be traded off on the altar of making profit.

Addressing members of the Association for Formidable Educational Development who came to Alausa to protest the closure of substandard private schools by the state government, on behalf of the Governor, Director of Private education and special programme, Mrs Folasayo Oyekan said there was no going back on the quest of the state government to regulate the proliferation of substandard private schools.

On the plea for a round table discussion by the proprietors, the Director said a meeting would be convened by the Deputy Governor who is also overseeing the education ministry with proprietors next week to discuss all the problems facing the sector.

Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Governor, Mr Hakeem Bello said that Governor Fashola is concerned about ensuring that our children are given the best of education in the most conducive atmosphere at the formative stages of their lives.

The efforts to sanitize the operation of private schools, he said, have also been largely informed by complaints from members of the public about the unwholesome practice that is going on in the private schools.

He said the issues raised at the meeting would be conveyed to the state governor.

Also addressing the gathering, the media officer to the Deputy Governor Mr Lanre Bajulaiye shed more light on the shocking discoveries made by the Deputy Governor and her team during the raid carried out on the illegal schools.
He revealed that there were instances of some private schools that had a dug well in the frontage of the structure which serves as the school without any safeguard while some operated from collapsed buildings.

Earlier, the President of the Association for Formidable Educational Development, Pastor J.O Ijename asked that the government should halt the present clampdown on the illegal schools pending the holding of the roundtable discussion with the state government.

He said the body has tried without success to reach the Deputy Governor for discussion on the issue before deciding to lead a protest to Alausa to table their grievances.