By Rasaq Adebayo
Chairmen of local governments and local council development areas in Lagos State are sponsoring more school leavers to re-take the General Certificate of Education, GCE Ordinary Level examinations.
Credits in five subjects at the examinations are required by higher institutions to admit to study for tertiary courses.
An Echonews investigation, initially set to discover how many councils fulfilled their constitutional obligations to fund primary education found out that most chairmen paid more attention to sponsoring students seeking to sit for the GCE than the capital projects that building and renovating schools entail.
The exceptions include Ejigbo LCDA, which flagged off registration of pupils to be admitted to its newest primary school, Ilamoshe Primary School recently; Bariga LCDA, which is building new blocks of classrooms at Igbehinadun and Adaranijo primary schools; Orile-Agege, which has built blocks of classrooms in 10 schools- Orile Agege, Saka Tinubu, Shiloh, Ladoje, IfeOluwa, Yewa, Araromi, Sacred Cherubum & Seraphim, Tabon Tabon and Ideal primary schools.
Others are Ijede which is building two blocks of six classrooms, toilets, perimeter fencing and computer centre for the pupils of Igbe-Ogunro Community Model Primary School; Ibeju-Lekki which built a block of six classrooms and a new administratice block for the Orimedu Community Primary School and Apapa which is rebuilding blocks of classrooms at Ijora Primary School in addition to tube wells and 27 new toilets in LadyLark primary school.
Also on the list is Eti-Osa which built new blocks of classrooms at Ikota and Itedo primary schools; and Ibeju-Lekki which is building perimeter fences of Iberekodo and Labora primary schools.
Agboyi – Ketu built a block of nine classrooms at Alapere Primary School, a block of six classrooms at Irepodun Primary School and renovated Pastor Adegboyega Primary School. All of them were completed with excellent garbing of the school building with chairs and tables, an ICT center, conducive staff rooms, lavatory and a convenient library.
At Oriade, the council fixed a block six classrooms at the Local Authority School, Ibeshe.
Compared to the more expensive capital expenditure of classrooms, most councils opt for free GCE forms because they are cheaper and address the immediate needs of young school leavers.
Accoording to Echonews interviews with infotmation officers of local governments across the state, the roll call of councils which sponsored beneficiaries in the last two years and the figures include Ifelodun, 1,000; Badagry, 1,000; Oshodi, 400; Kosofe,300; Ejigbo, 250; Iru/Victoria Island,250: Surulere, 200; Igbogbo-Baiyeku, 200; Iba, 200; Oriade, 200; Ikosi-Ejinrin, 200; and Ikorodu North, 200.
At N25,000 per form, the councils have committed huge sums to provide a brighter future for the youth.
Ib addition, councils are providing school uniforms, chairs, desks and writing materials.
With the rising population in Lagos State, stakeholders are worried about insufficient schools to accommodate the persistent increase in the population of school-age children in the local government areas across the State..
Lagos is Africa’s most populous city and its education system faces all of the challenges ofd the fast-growing, vital mega city. Lagos State has the largest and strongest private sector in the country and this is obviously an area of strength and great potential to the state.
This is equally applicable to the education sector, where up to 60% of students attend private schools. While this reduces the task of the State Government in providing education for millions of children, it, however, presents major challenges both in public and private schools as, these children should benefit from quality education that prepares them to be strong, self-reliant, dynamic, democratic, egalitarian and full of bright opportunity for the society.
Although there are many challenges facing the state’s basic education sector, there has been an improvement in the provision of infrastructure and equipment, library facilities, and staff capacity development lately.
Consequently, there is a gradual improvement in the performance of students in examinations. Also, the commitment and support of parents and the community have contributed to this improved performance.
As of December 2022, there were 1,075 public primary schools spread across the 20 LGs and 37 LCDAs in the state. And since 2019, according to LASUBEB, the population of primary school pupils in Lagos has been increasing by more than 30% annually.
When they were sworn in by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on July 27, 2021, the 20 Local Government and 37 Local Council Development Area (LCDA) chairmen made promises to be committed to the development of their various council areas in infrastructure, health, education, security, and other. Half time into the four year tenure, it is time for the residents to score their helmsmen.
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