The Lagos State Government says any school which violates environmental laws will be closed down.
The State Commissioner for Education, Olayinka Oladunjoye, told newsmen that it was mandatory for private and public schools to comply with environmental laws of the state.
“I want to use this opportunity to appeal to proprietors still running substandard schools to figure out ways of raising their standard.
“We do not have plans to close down schools except if they are substandard or violating environmental laws of the state, that is, if they are operating in unhygienic conditions,” she said.
Oladunjoye stressed the need for school authorities to ensure a hygienic environment, saying deplorable environment will impact negatively on the children.
The commissioner reiterated the commitment of the government to continue to work with the Association of Proprietors of Private Schools to raise the standard of education.
She commended the leadership of the association for its commitment to qualitative education in private schools, stressing that “It is the association’s leadership’s passion for qualitative education that motivated the state government to support it.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of NAPPS, Lagos State Chapter, Yomi Otubela, said the association had put in place measures aimed at boosting education in the state.
He recalled that the closure of some substandard schools in the past denied some pupils access to education.
“Many children of school age were out of school at that time as a result of the closure which was a bad development for the education sector.
“NAPPS was able to get the consent of the state government to reopen such schools and asked the owners to provide the required infrastructure and upgrade the standard of their schools,” Otubela said.
Follow Us