| THE Lagos State Government, yesterday, handed over eight blocks of new model schools to the Ikeja Cantonment community. The gesture is coming eight years after the bomb blast that claimed many lives and reduced several buildings, including schools, to rubble.
Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN), performed the hand-over ceremony with a message to parents and guardians to be mindful of the academic development of their children and wards. He also handed over a block of 21 classrooms in Agidingbi, Ikeja.
Fashola said: "The education of children is a necessary obligation of parenting. It is not enough to leave it to teachers alone. It is also not enough to simply provide uniform, food and materials. You must invest your time, because you are the mirror through which your children see life."
He stressed the need for parents to inspect the children’s home work, visit their schools without notice, to know what they do and in what condition the pupils study.
He explained that eight blocks of schools in the cantonment consist of 82 classrooms, which represent models of 253 blocks or 3, 885 classrooms across the state The classrooms were recently renovated by the government.
The governor explained that the single blocks of 21 classrooms represents the model of various designs of the 126 new school buildings. These consisted of 1,412 classrooms added to existing classrooms.
Fashola, who faulted the general belief that education standard has declined in the state, said: "I am convinced by our investment that we are on the right track because the figures of examination returns since 2007 show that things are heading in the right direction."
He based his argument on the performance of the students in the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO), which he said has recorded steady progress.
He said: "In 2007, 5,050 students (7.58 per cent) passed with credit in English and Mathematics; in 2008, it was 6,840 students (10.41 per cent); and in 2009, it was 11,432 students, representing 18.41 per cent."
He noted that the figure excluded other students who passed five subjects with either English or Mathematics.
The governor said plans were on to ensure that such students are accommodated in remedial colleges, which allow students to either re-sit or concentrate on one or two subjects in which they have weaknesses.
He added that the government was working on strategies to assist weak students with more academic attention.
The Nation |
