Stakeholders under the aegis of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) have organised a workshop on safety for schools in Alimosho, Lagos, DAMOLA KOLA-DARE reports
As schools resume next week across Lagos State, private schools in Alimosho have taken proactive steps to ensure the safety and security of their pupils.
Their umbrella body, the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) Alimosho chapter, in conjunction with Quality Assurance and Lagos Safety Commission, organised a one-day seminar on safety.
The seminar had as theme: “Quality Assurance compliance and safety precaution in schools”. It held on the premises of Pacific School, Egbeda, Lagos.
NAPPS Alimosho Chairman Mr. Bodunde Samuel noted that it is the duty of school owners to ensure pupils, staff and visitors are safe.He said gathering of stakeholders in the private school system to deliberate on safety and security of pupils was necessary at a time the security architecture of the nation is weak.
He said: “It is our duty to keep our pupils, staff and visitors safe. Our pupil’s have the right to play around but they don’t have the right to supervise themselves. This is the first time we are bringing safety and quality assurance experts to train us. We are resuming next week and this is an opportunity to get training. Then, I implore school heads to retrain their staff because pre-resumption training on safety is imperative.”
Director-General Lagos Safety Commission represented by Head of School Safety Commission Lagos, Mrs. Ajoke Osokoya, said: “There must be compliance to safety standards in all our schools. Safety first and safety for all. Schools need to ensure that students should be risk aware and not risk averse. Safety places important roles in schools. You are aware of issues in our schools, students jumping fence to hotels, students dying, classrooms without exit ways,among others. Schools must be devoid of hazards and fatality. Lagos Safety Commission is saddled with the responsibility to make schools secure in line with the THEMES agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. There is absolute need to safeguard our future leaders. Schools should inculcate culture of safety in young ones. No amount of investment in safety is too much, invest in safety and you won’t regret it.”
A retired Director in the Lagos State Safety Commission, Mr. Adeyinka Adebiyi, who spoke on “Promoting teaching and learning activities through the inculcation of safety and health culture”, called for regular sensitisation on safety. He urged schools to set up safety committees to for strict monitoring.
He said: “Parents teachers and pupils must be regularly sensitised on safety measures. No one should be left out. Schools must ensure they plug all loopholes that might result in injury to pupils or staff. Safety policy statement must be everywhere in schools. Every school should have it. It is like the Bible of schools. Everyone should read it.
There should be hazard identification officers, regular safety training to remind everyone that safety is necessary.”
President of NAPPS Lagos State, Alaka Yusuf said: “Schools who default in terms of safety ,we have a way of attending to schools who default. Government should assist private schools to be able to adhere to safety measures. Schools should ensure they prioritise safety such that the pupils,staff and visitors are safe. This pre-resumption training is important to have a term free of accidents and injuries to pupils. I am confident that at end of this, all school heads would ensure strict compliance to safety rules and measures.”
Ferscoat School, Ipaja, Lagos Proprietor Mr. Felix Opata, said: ”Implementation of safety protocols is imperative to ensure security of pupils and staff. The learning environment should also be conducive. Pupils should not be lumped together in a class. There should be well-ventilated and well-lit class and laboratories.
“Key performance indicators are used to evaluate the success of an organisation. They are typically tied to specific goals and used to evaluate progress. This reflects the school’s effectiveness in providing holistic education that measures academics,social development of learners. Key indicators involve learning environment, parental and communities engagement, financial health of school, statutory records, academic performance,among others. The major bane of our schools is examination malpractice during exams like West African Senior School Certificate Examination WASSCE, Senior School Certificate Examination conducted by NECO. Malpractice should be stamped out. A school should produce quality pupils. A school is established to work on weakness of learners.”
Pacific school Proprietor of Pacific School,Egbeda, Lagos, Mr Omosowon Idowu Remigious,who spoke on “Capacity development for school growth” stressed the need for conducive environment for learners.
He said: “Capacity development deals with things we put in place to ensure school development. This enhances conducive learning environment. Capacity development stands at the cornerstone of advancement. It fosters a culture of innovation and excellence in schools.
“Strategies to enhance development are, incorporating innovative teaching methodologies and tools, training and workshops to improve pedagogical skills. Proprietors and school owners are pivotal to capacity development initiatives, they demonstrate commitment to excellence. It will improve learners.”
