Funmi Ogundare
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has promised his administration’s readiness to collaborate and partner with stakeholders in the private sector so as to deliver the needed educational outcomes in the state.
He pointed out the need to ensure collaboration with the private sector, noting that the move would go a long way to achieve the lofty ambitions which required strategies for achievements of set goals for attainable outcomes.
Sanwo-Olu, who made this known at the 2020 Education Public-Private Partnership (PPP) dialogue held in Lagos, outlined areas which stakeholders could collaborate with governmen. These include: adopting schools and teacher training centre, funding, equiping and upgrading of facilities, providing accommodation, donating equipment and technology tools.
Others are: funding the state’s teachers’ welfare fund, sponsoring work experience schemes for students and teachers, sponsoring local and international exchange programmes, investing in special needs education, providing consultancy services for monitoring and evaluation, capacity development, data gathering and analysis.
“There would be several concession opportunities for the private sector to take advantage of impactful collaboration,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor emphasised on the theme of his administration’s agenda, saying it’s committed to reforming the education sector for an overall objective of a greater Lagos.
According to him, “The demonstration of our commitment in a number of ways will include: increasing the budgetary allocation to education, the Eko-Excel initiative – excellence in child education and learning which will train and support public school teachers and administrators to incorporate technology into teaching across all local governments and local council development areas, schools rehabilitation and redevelopment.”
He disclosed that 60,000 chairs and table units had already been distributed to some schools and promised that 100,000 units are equally targeted before the end of the year.
“As a way of encouraging teachers in public schools, we are planning to design the teacher’s quarters within the school premises,” the governor said, adding that his administration would give cars to best performing teachers across the 20 local governments in the state.
As policy makers and private sector professionals, he said there’s need to ensure that emerging generations of young people are exposed to the same quality educational opportunities with a comprehensive and well-rounded education that involves the impartation of leadership skills, empathy, self-confidence as well as inculcating values and ethics in them.
Earlier, Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, while presenting the BOS Education Transformation Plan (BOSETP) reeled out the efforts and achievements of her ministry since coming on board.
“The ministry had begun the construction and upgrading of public schools and the commissioning of a new school is also in progress.
“Reviewing and optimising the curriculum, organising, instituting a better school governance and administration and improving the capacity and welfare of students and school personnel investment in technology and state of arts training and induction of teachers through the Eko-Excel are few of the ministry’s achievements,” she said.
The Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Abosede Adelaja, in her remarks, revealed that the data to know the number of in-school and out of school children in the state was being collated, noting that this would help to plan and move the sector forward.
in her presentation, one of the private sector partners, Dr. Akindayomi, said she has been promoting inclusive education and called for an increase in the funding for special needs schools and inclusive units.
