Press Releases

Lagos Holds Second Education Summit To Reposition Education

Jun 2, 2009 - Lagos State Deputy Governor, Princess Sarah Adebisi Sosan on Tuesday stated that all is set for the hosting of the Second Education Summit with the theme; “Funding Qualitative Education in Lagos State” as part of efforts to involve all stakeholders in the quest to reposition education in the State.

According to the Deputy Governor who addressed newsmen at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa on the Summit where she also unveiled its logo, all sectors of the economy interested in the growth and development of the education sector would be involved.

She said although response to the government clarion call through the Save Our Schools Initiative has been commendable, has not taken the state to its envisioned destination for the education sector as speakers.

The Summit which is expected to commence on Wednesday, June 17 to Thursday June 18, 2009 at the Expo Centre of the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island would attract both local and foreign experts on educational matters.

She said Lagos State with a population of approximately 18milion people and 1,045 Primary Schools, 317 Junior Secondary Schools and 319 Senior Secondary Schools currently has the largest population data in the educational sector.

She added that since coming on board, the budgetary provisions on each yearly basis has been used to address the various infrastructural requirements of the sector, adding that steps have also been taken to ensure that students perform well in examinations.

Mrs Sosan explained that other practical steps taken include sustained renovation, construction and provision of school infrastructure equipment necessary for effective teaching and learning process like re-equipping and upgrading of the state’s educational resource centre.

Others are upgrading of all public libraries, provision of laboratories, acquisition and installation of necessary equipments in all the five technical colleges and continued payment of the Terminal Examination of all finalists in Public Schools to which over 500million has been expended.

She also told the gathering that the state has also started providing all students from nursery to senior secondary schools with textbooks in all the core subjects free of charge for which 5,925,000 copies of books were procured at about N3Billion.

Mrs Sosan said in spite of all these, the State Government has realized that it cannot provide the quality of education envisaged to the ever increasing population and therefore launched the Support Our Schools Initiative through which the state appealed to individuals and corporate citizens to partner with it in upgrading educational facilities and standards in public schools of their choice.

While acknowledging that the response to the clarion call through the SOS initiative has been commendable, it still has not taken the state to the envisioned destination for the educational sector.

The Deputy Governor also said the state is still keen on considering a curriculum review in some fields such as in the area of studies on the environment and climate changes adding that it could only take effect after following due process which included ratification by the National Council on Education.

She said the first summit was a huge success as some of the issues that developed led to the creation of the Teachers Establishment Pensions Office as well as monitoring units in the education districts.

The Deputy Governor later unveiled the logo of the education summit while being assisted by the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, Special Advisers on Education Dr Elijah Olu Adewale and Rural Development, Mr Paul Kalejaiye as well as former Performing Musician Association of Nigeria President, Mr Bolaji Rosiji.