By Kofoworola Belo-Osagie
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday launched the state’s transformation plan with a promise to make the education sector a pride before the end of his four-year tenure.
Speaking at a Public Private Partnership (PPP) dialogue with private sector executives, held on Victoria Island, the governor said: “I am hoping that this sector at the end of my tenure will be one you will be very proud of.”
He said his administration had increased the education budget from N65billion in 2019 to N136billion in 2020, to implement the 15 focus areas covered by the transformation plan.
Sanwo-Olu said the state would next month launch a programme to improve teaching and learning in public secondary schools that would rival the Eko EXCEL technology initiative launched in February to improve teaching and learning in public primary schools.
He said he would utilise some of the ideas suggested by private sector partners at the event – including addressing the high tax concerns and land request of private school proprietors; establishing state-of-the-art technology-driven school in a containerised structure suggested by Buddzone; and making public buildings accessible to special needs people, among others.
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Education Commissioner Folasade Adefisayo said the government seeks to upgrade school infrastructure; curriculum; school governance; quality education delivery; welfare of students and school personnel; technology, among others.
She said that the government had started with the introduction of Eko EXCEL; recruitment of 3,000 teachers; infrastructural upgrade; ICT upgrade and improvement of performance in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
“We are working on a deep plan to improve WASSCE results. Lagos State is sixth in Nigeria. In all where I have worked, I have never been number six. We are working to get to number one,” Adefisayo said.
She noted that the state would appreciate partnership in six areas such as improving capacity and welfare of school personnel; upgrading education resource centre; investment in secondary school infrastructure; enhancement of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET); improvement of Special and Inclusive Education; and other broad sectoral intervention areas such as provision of data; character reforms, etc.
The commissioner told the private sector representatives that the state was serious about engaging with them and would make the process seamless.
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