The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Education, has given approval for the establishment of 173 private schools across the state’s five divisions.
The Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, made this known yesterday while issuing letters of approval to the beneficiaries in Ikeja.
Adefisayo stated that the approval for the private schools was part of efforts to entrench inclusiveness in the education sector.
She expressed the willingness of the present administration to partner with critical stakeholders in the private education sector to be part of the effort on quality education.
“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,” she said.
“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 added.
Adefisayo urged all school owners to reflect excellence in their service delivery, integrate 21st century skills into their teaching methods and to make provision for special students.
She urged school owners to employ only qualified teachers, emphasise digital literacy and adhere to the recommended curriculum for teaching.
The Director, Private Education and Special Programmes, Mrs Adetutu Adebowale, said that there was the need for school owners to maintain the standard that earned them the approval of the state government.
Adebowale said 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 Chinyelu Anidebe, a school proprietor, urged the ministry to always make the new curriculum available on time.
Anidebe called on the ministry to update the current curriculum and initiate enlightenment programmes aimed at dissuading parents from encouraging their children to skip primary six.
In the same vein, another proprietor, Capt. Femi Olaiya, representing the secondary school subsector, encouraged the ministry to utilise all available media to disseminate information on the criteria for approval to school owners and to also hasten the process.
