The Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration of Lagos State has made a passionate call for all concerned Nigerians to partake in the collaborative initiative of the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN) towards ensuring the safety and security of students, teachers and other stakeholders across all levels of the nation’s schools.
The call was made by the Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu while delivering his address as the Chief Host of the 2022 edition of EWAN annual Education Summit held on Wednesday, October 12 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
The governor was represented by his Special Adviser On Education, Barrister Tokunbo Wahab who also doubled as a member of the panel at the summit.
He observed that the security situation in Nigeria in the last few years has been worrisome and, therefore, canvassed a concerted effort and repeated advocacy programmes such as the EWAN summit.
To this end, the governor noted with delight that the theme of the Summit: “Towards Safe Schools in Nigeria” was very apt and instructive.
This is even as he commended the education writers for their consciousness and concerns for an improved security system not only in schools in Lagos State but generally in “our dear society”.
“The security situation in our country in the last few years is worrisome and there is the need for a concerted effort and repeated advocacy programmes like this not only to create public awareness on the need to be security conscious but also, to enable relevant stakeholders to come together and fashion out appropriate solutions that can help us as a people to address the current security challenges in our schools, institutions, worship places, motor parks and other places.
“As you are all aware, Education occupies a very prominent place in the Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu-led administration in the State. It is the 3rd Pillar of this administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S development agenda.
“This is not by accident; rather, it underscores the State government’s genuine commitment to achieving quality and sustainable educational growth through policy formulation and implementation.”; he stated.
According to Governor Sanwo-Olu, achieving quality and sustainable education requires a very peaceful and conducive learning environment devoid of violence, security threat, sexual assault, harassment, hooliganism, brigandage, cultism, raping, drug abuse and other social vices that may constitute security threats.
He regretted, however, that these menaces are still deeply rooted in the nation’s educational system and they constitute a great threat to achieving safety and sustainable growth in education across the country.
“As part of the measures to scale up security in our public schools and institutions, this administration has taken a lot of initiatives including the provision of perimeter fencing in all public schools, banning the use of public schools for social parties/functions, regular public enlightenment campaigns/sensitisations on the danger of illicit drugs, cultism, violence in our institutions of learning, installation of renewable energy street lights in our schools as well as the reward of excellence in academic programmes in schools and institutions, among others.
“Despite all these efforts and initiatives, it is mind-boggling to note that the general security challenge persists in our schools and colleges,” the Governor submitted.
The SAE expressed personal gladness seeing the calibre of people, especially the security personnel and education administrators present to grace the occasion and contribute to the discussion.
He also expressed his belief that all stakeholders present would offer their expertise and advice via their concerted professional experience shared to guide the State and federal governments in furthering policies on safety and security in the nation’s schools and colleges.
“I, therefore, charge all stakeholders to be very attentive and contribute meaningfully to discussions and deliberations as well as experts’ opinions on how to nip this ugly trend in the bud once and for all.
“Without a doubt, a well-secured and safe school environment will help to produce the desired result in delivering quality and sustainable education to the citizenry.
“It is therefore important that the government at all levels should formulate and implement policies that would help us to rise to the challenges posed by insecurity in our schools. This, in turn, would help us to achieve peace and harmony in our schools and colleges while our school calendars and programmes would run as planned, thus making our educational system gain global relevance,” he concluded.
