Olaseni Durojaiye
The gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, Jimi Agbaje, has stated that if elected governor of the state he would make quality education affordable.
He also promised to increase the salaries of teachers in the state.
He stated this during a town hall meeting in Ikorodu, Lagos.
Agbaje, who expressed his concern over the poor performance of secondary school students in the state in the West African Examination Council (WAEC) noted that on average, only 20 percent of Lagos State students passed WAEC in the last two decades.
“Quality education is the foundation for creating sustainable development. Therefore, an access to affordable, available and high-quality inclusive education is a high priority for us, in line with Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals,” Agbaje said.
He added that he would establish an education system that equips children with future-ready skills and qualifications from the primary to tertiary level in order for them to be globally competitive and develop innovations that will solve the problems of Lagos and by extension, the nation.
He said “My administration, if elected, will among other things provide Lagos with a labour force that is fit for this purpose through affordable quality education across all levels. The lack of quality teachers, inadequate and poor infrastructure and the dearth of educational aids and teaching materials are some of the problems the education sector still faces.
“You can only give what you have. Only the best trainer can train one to be the best so, we will ensure the provision of high quality teachers and the professionalisation of teaching in our schools through training, encouragement of certification, instituting a programme of continuous professional development and reviewing the remuneration of teachers.”
He stated further that his administration would upgrade the State College of Education by improving existing facilities and pursuing affiliation with the Lagos State University (LASU) for appropriate degrees and certification as part of a larger strategy of continuous capacity enhancement targeted at teachers in the state.
According to him, incentives to ensure more enrolment of Lagos’ indigenes in tertiary institutions will be pursued through the provision of bursaries and scholarships for them adding that he will achieve same through collaboration with private-sector organisations to offer more educational scholarships, especially at LASU and other State-owned tertiary institutions.
