The Lagos State Government has sealed Ten (10) private schools that flouted the closure directives of the federal and state governments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the safety of students.
Mrs. Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, The Director-General, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Lagos State, who led the Monitoring and Investigating team of the office, disclosed this during the second and third phase of the massive monitoring of private schools compliance to the directive to limit the spread of the Virus still ravaging the country and the world at large.
Mrs. Seriki-Ayeni, states that a large number of private schools visited across the state were found to have complied while the non-compliant schools have been sealed. The exercise, would be continuous and encompassing, cutting across all the education districts in the state to discourage the nonchalant attitude of some schools to this directive.
Central to the monitoring exercise is the safety of all learners due to their vulnerability. No doubt, Covid-19 has negative effects on our schools but we want students to come out stronger and better. We want to make sure schools are closed; we also want to make sure schools are devoted to the closure directive since the number of Covid-19 infection cases has increased dramatically over time. On the field, we want to stay put to what we know is true and we want to consistently do it to students and school-based staff”.
Mrs. Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, who that earlier warned of the danger inherent in the exposure and clustering of students in a class in the name of lesson strictly reiterated that any school where teaching and learning are ongoing while trying to beat government scrutiny without concern for the health and safety of learners will be sealed.
While admonishing parents and school owners, Mrs. Abiola Seriki-Ayeni encouraged them to abide by the directive of the Lagos State Government to stay safe and healthy by promoting washing of hands with soap, wearing of mask in public places and using alcohol-based hand sanitizer. She also advised parents not to be found guilty for exposing the lives of their children to danger. She encouraged school owners to begin the process of thinking through the opportunities that exist at this time to up-skill their staff through online virtual training and webinar.
She further said, “This is the time to think and plan strategically to form good partnerships with government in order to get resources for your schools” she urged parents.
