The Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA), an agency under the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, has engaged key stakeholders in the education sector to develop an academic calendar for the 2025/2026 session.
The engagement was geared toward developing a new calendar that reflects the views and expectations of all major players.
Speaking during a preliminary stakeholders’ meeting held on Wednesday at the NUT Pavilion, Ikeja the Supervising Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Sesan Ogundeko, addressed major education stakeholders and emphasised the state government’s commitment to an effective and structured academic calendar.
Represented by the Director of the Basic Education Services Department, Mrs. Abosede Adumasi, Ogundeko reassured stakeholders that the final academic calendar would be designed to support academic excellence, student well-being, and holistic learner development across Lagos State.
In his welcome address, the Coordinating Director of OEQA, Mr. Remi Abdul, stressed the importance of collaboration in designing an academic calendar that ensures efficiency and stability in Lagos State schools.
He acknowledged the commitment of education stakeholders and clarified that the meeting was meant to gather insights, analyze perspectives, and develop strategic options – not to finalize the academic calendar.
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He also issued a strong warning that schools failing to comply with the final academic calendar would face serious consequences and sanctions from the state government.
The Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics Department at OEQA, Idowu Hakeem Kehinde acknowledged an improvement in compliance with the 2024/2025 Academic Calendar but emphasised that OEQA expects full compliance with the 2025/2026 Academic Calendar currently under deliberation.
The Director of Research at OEQA, Mrs. Evelyn Pelemo, who anchored the plenary recommended that stakeholders should organize themselves into groups consisting of 10 participants per table each led by a Team Lead and a Secretary for proper structured deliberations.
An Assistant Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics at OEQA, David Ojelade, provided a review of last year’s calendar development process and outlined the 2025/2026 academic guidelines for participants. He noted that the minimum number of learning days remains 180, the mid-term break remains one week, and school resumption after the New Year break will be in the second week of January.
Representatives of the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Association of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria (AOPSHON), public and private school representatives, parent-teacher associations, examination bodies, and education administrators attended the meeting..