Lagos approves 114 private schools

Lagos State government has issued provisional letters of approval to 114 proprietors/school owners that met government guidelines/requirements for the operation of private primary/secondary schools in the state.

The state government said issuance of the letters to qualified school operators was in fulfillment of its promise to begin endorsing schools that meet up with government’s guidelines and requirements.

Deputy governor of the state, who also superintendends the Education Ministry, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule, said that the essence of the letters was to recognise those that abide by government’s rules and regulations regarding the operation of private schools, and to encourage them to do better, thereby, promoting the growth of quality education in the state.

Adebule, while congratulating the recipients advised them to work harder to maintain set standards and attain greater heights in delivering quality education, warning that the state government would not hesitate to withdraw the approval from any school that derails and compromises standard.

She said: “You should know this is just a provisional approval letter. We will not hesitate to withdraw the letter from any school that performs below standard, or if any other reason suggests that the school has lost focus in its operational guidelines,’’ the deputy governor warned.

According to her, the state governor was generally concerned about quality education in the state, regardless of whether in the private or public schools.

She warned owners of private primary and secondary schools in the state to focus more on delivering quality education in their schools rather than turning them into money-making ventures, and caring less about the future of their end products.

“You should know that your end-products are the future leaders of our dear country, therefore we must join hands in giving them the right education that will help them to be up to the task of nation building and we can only achieve this if we give them the right education,’’ Adebule said.

While reassuring that the presentation of provisional approvals would be a regular exercise, Adebule told them that the era of waiting endlessly for letters of approval was gone, urging them to reciprocate government good gesture by ensuring that they do not compromise standard.

She promised that the state government would continue to create an enabling environment that would help them to succeed in their operations.

Speaking on behalf of other proprietors, Jacuta Umeobi of the Vintage Nursery/Primary School, Okokomaiko, said the letters of approval they collected would further motivate them to increase their efficiency in the day-to-day administration of their schools.

Umeobi noted that many school proprietors had waited for so long to be accredited by the state government, adding that their provisional approval was a promise kept and promise fulfilled.

She pledged that their association would go back to the drawing board and set up a task force that would monitor activities of other members to ensure that no one breaches the operational guidelines set by the government.