Lagos State Government has given special recognition to 15 public and private primary and secondary schools in the state for their outstanding performance in adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols.
Speaking on the occasion held at Alausa, Ikeja on Tuesday, the Director General, Office of Education Quality Assurance, OEQA, Mrs Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, said the schools exceeded expectations in their compliance with safety protocols put in place by the government to allow schools reopen safely after the outbreak of the pandemic.
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“We have to celebrate these schools when one considers the number of schools in Lagos both public and private. I am also glad that a public school, Estate Junior High School, Ifako-Ijaye is one of the schools being recognized. It means public schools in the state are also up and doing.
“Our vision is to improve on the delivery of quality education in both public and private schools and in a safe environment. When COVID-19 broke out, it disrupted many things including academic activities. But in Lagos, where Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is committed to quality education as part of the THEMES Agenda, we rose to the occasion by organising a series of training programmes for school leaders and other stakeholders in the sector and that led to a successful reopening of schools.
Seriki-Ayeni also gave the assurance that schools that continue to maintain safe and healthy environment would always be the priority of the OEQA.
“What we have started now is beyond the issue of COVID-19 pandemic protocols, the pandemic would go but we don’t know what may come after. But be that as it may, schools maintaining safe and healthy environment for all stakeholders, the teachers, the students, workers and even visitors, has come to stay and has become our priority,” she said.
Recalled that schools in the state were asked to submit four plans on their own safety protocols, after which teams from OEQA assessed them, reviewed their plans and visited them to know what they really have on ground. Over 547 schools scaled the first hurdle and 454 got to the next stage, before 54 were shortlisted and 19 made the final list.
Private primary and secondary schools led, as only one public school made the final list.
