Lagos Introduces QR Codes To Verify Private School Approval Letters
Kehinde Adeleye
The Lagos State Government has granted provisional approval to 101 private schools while warning proprietors against concealing cases of child abuse, molestation and bullying.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, disclosed this in a statement shared on Facebook on Saturday, saying the approval letters were presented on Thursday at the NUT Pavilion, Alausa, Ikeja.
The newly approved schools comprise 63 nursery and primary schools, 35 secondary schools, 2 sixth-form schools and 1 boarding school.
Alli-Balogun described the presentation of the letters as the beginning of a formal relationship between the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and the schools.
He said the government would continue to support private school proprietors while urging them to comply with the Lagos State Education Law, the Child Rights Act and other relevant regulations.
The commissioner described private schools as strategic partners in the state’s education development, stressing the need for collaboration to improve school operations and the quality of education.
However, he warned proprietors against employing unqualified teachers, maintaining substandard facilities and concealing incidents of child abuse, molestation or bullying.
He urged school administrators to report such incidents promptly to the appropriate authorities rather than suppressing complaints.
The Director-General of the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA), Sulaimon Olagoke Ogunmuyiwa, disclosed that QR codes had been introduced on provisional approval letters to enable verification and prevent the use of counterfeit documents.
He also said an automated school registration and approval system had been developed to allow proprietors to register online and track their applications.
According to him, the system is awaiting approval from the governor before it can be introduced.
The measures form part of the state government’s efforts to strengthen oversight of private schools, improve accountability and promote safer learning environments for pupils and students.
