Lagos State Government has expressed its readiness to build more schools to encourage enrolment of school-age children and take care of out-of-school children.
The state’s Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, said this during a meeting with the Chief Resilience Officer (CRO), Lagos State Resilience Office (LASRO), Gbolahan Owodunni Oki and Chairman, Itire/Ikate Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Dr. Ahmed Olanrewaju Apatira, at Ikeja on the proposal for the establishment of Itire/Ikate Model College.
In a statement, yesterday, Adefisayo also hinted that special provision was made for additional schools in 2021 budget, while existing school infrastructure would be constantly upgraded to make the teaching and learning environment more conducive.
She said that education remained a potential weapon with which the government can fight crime, ignorance, poverty and under-development, adding that the ongoing reforms embarked upon by the current administration would not only improve the state’s quality of education but also encourage mass enrolment of pupils of school age.
The commissioner promised that the proposal for the Itire/Ikate Model College would be taken to the governor and the State Executive Council for consideration, noting that the establishment of a secondary school in Itire/Ikate community is long overdue.
Earlier, the Chief Resilience Officer said that LASRO, in conjunction with the Itire/Ikate LCDA, had come to make a presentation in favour of possible consideration for the establishment of Itire/Ikate Model College in line with the state government’s resilience initiatives in educational development.
Also, Apatira, who was represented at the meeting by his deputy, Pastor Gbenga Oyebode, said that after a stakeholders’ meeting, all leaders of Itire Ikate community, including Oba of Ikate Kingdom, Oba Lateef Atanda Abiodun; the Regent of Onitire Kingdom, High Chief Atanda Aberejo; Itire/Ikate CDC Chairman, Otunba Dupe Adekoya and other prominent citizens of the area, unanimously agreed on the need to establish a secondary school in the community to encourage more enrolment and reduce the stress of having to travel long distances to where schools are located.
He said that apart from providing the land for the proposed Model College, the community was equally ready to give every other necessary support to make the dream come to reality.
