The Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, on Tuesday restated the present administration’s commitment to the provision of necessary infrastructure for public schools in the state.
Speaking at the 2nd annual merit award of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Lagos Chapter, the commissioner said that the basic amenities included classrooms, libraries and capacity building for teachers.
Adefisayo, who was represented by Mrs Adetutu Adebowale, Director of Private and Special Programmes in the ministry, said that the state government would recruit qualified teachers to strengthen quality education in schools.
“These efforts are geared towards laying a solid foundation for self-reliance and socioeconomic development of the state in particular and the country.
“I believe that systematically, we will attain our desired goal of 100 per cent pass in basic subjects including Mathematics and English language,”Adefisayo said.
She applauded the role of teachers in providing platform for students to attain greater heights in the art of writing, reading and communicating effectively.
“This has availed us the opportunity to discover genius with hidden talents and enhance their learning skills for education development.
“We need to urgently identify and set our priorities right on how we manage education that encompasses every aspect of our lives; we in this profession need to raise leaders for the future we desire,” Adefisayo said.
In his opening remarks, Dr Wasiu Adumadeyin, the state President of the association, called on the government to continue to support teachers in both government and private schools in the state.
Adumadeyin said that private schools were filling the gap as government alone could not provide the education needs of a highly populous state like Lagos.
“Private schools strive alongside public schools with the same goal of educating the masses.
“We should be seen as the partner in progress rendering social service and not as business entity that need to be taxed from right, left and centre.
“Issue of multiple taxation is killing the industry and schools are closing down,” he said.
Adumadeyin said that the association had made presentation to the government and was optimistic that it would look into their plea.
“We believe there cannot be quality educational delivery without quality and dedicated teachers, we acknowledge teachers as a major factor towards qualitative education,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2019 NAPPS Day tagged “Celebrating the Teachers as an Asset to Nation Building”. was conceptualised to celebrate all stakeholders education sector.
(NAN)
