20th July, 2018
Mrs Ronke Soyombo, Director-General, Quality Assurance Office, Lagos State Ministry of Education, says collaboration between the state government and private schools was key to achieving the United Nations Education For All goal by 2020.
Soyombo, represented by Mrs Folakemi Oyewole, a director in the quality assurance office, made the assertion at a two-day retreat and book fair organised by the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAAPS), Lagos Chapter on Friday.
The theme of the retreat is: “Unlocking the Potential in Collaborating and Associating In Education For School Growth: Your School is Really My School”.
She said that Lagos with a population of over 17 million people and half of which were probably children and youth, was too large for the government alone to cater for its educational needs.
“We have 1,689 public schools for the nursery, primary and secondary category in Lagos State and above 18,000 private schools with 4,500 approved.
“The government has embraced the private school sector and given them freedom to operate in a bid to meet the demands of its large population but still regulate their operations towards maintaining standard,” she said.
According to her, the collaboration between the government and the private school sector was the prerequisite for adequate educational needs.
“The government has set some standards, rules and regulations to ensure quality education and expect the private schools operators to fully comply and adhere strictly to the rules.
“That is why the quality assurance office is established to maintain education standard and enforce compliance to the set rules,” she said.
Soyombo said once the government and the private operators deliver their obligations as expected, education for all as desired would be attained.
She said ensuring that pupils, students and parents who patronise the private schools get the required and expected services was also a mandate of the government because they were citizens of the country .
“Every pupil or student in a private school, just as their public counterpart is a government child and as a citizen deserves to get the best education needs from the system.
“All we want is uniformity in resumption and closure of school, adherence to syllabus and academic calendars, provision of essential facilities and safety measures among other guidelines,” she said.
She urged the private school operators not to see the government and its officials as enemy but as partners working together to attain quality standard.
Mr Wasiu Adumadeyin, President, NAAPS, Lagos Chapter said the responsibilities of school operators should not stop at providing classrooms and personnel.
Adumadeyin said schools must ensure capacity building, training and collaborations at a continuous pace to attain quality products and services and satisfaction of its clients and end users.
He said the retreat had been structured to help schools to incorporate the very crux of their existence which is nurturing for development.