Wahab Alawiye-King, Executive Chairman, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB) discuses critical issues affecting Universal Basic Education and Primary Education with Charles Ogwo
How is the Lagos SUBEB going about achieving the Universal Basic Education (UBE) in the state?
Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board is guided by the mandate of SDG 4 which is in line with UBEC 2004 and 2006 law which stipulates provision of all inclusive compulsory free and qualitative education for all children.
Lagos, because of its unique commercial nature has a large number of Out of School children. What is the State doing to combat this menace?
Lagos State is planning project zero tolerance to out of school children. This is meant to mop out the issue of out of school children. The state has introduced many incentives to accommodate the out of school children. These include EkoExcel programme, Home grown school feeding programme, which though is a federal government initiative the state choose to endorse it. A lot is done to develop the learning environment to suit the learning demands of its residents. There are also some other programmes.
Lagos SUBEB recently has being placing emphasis on vocational training by working to improve learning environments in technical schools. What are you trying to achieve by this?
Our goal is to provide all inclusive education for our children which cover the three main
domains of learning cognitive (thinking), affective (emotional/feeling) and psycho-motor
(physical).
The main goal of Lagos state and SUBEB is to ensure that our students can learn using every
part of their bodies. The end result will be a total child, who fit into the society easily and
is productive anywhere he/she founds himself/herself.
Many parents prefer the private primary schools for their children/wards, what is SUBEB doing to make the public primary schools attractive again?
Primary schools in public sector are very good and well taken care of in Lagos State. We are mandated to provide qualitative education in Lagos State.
Though where one’s children is enrolled for primary education is an individual choice, Lagos State is doing everything possible within its power to provide a qualitative primary education in the public schools.
Why the initiative of EkoExcel programme?
EkoExcel is a phenomenal that has happened in the state. EkoExcel is all about bringing Information Communication Technology (ICT) into classrooms. It is all encompassing. In fact, EkoExcel is meant to open young minds to learning environment that is 21st century digitalization compliant.
LASUBEB, as a board has a mantra: ‘leave no child.’ EkoExcel is geared towards ensuring that no child in Lagos State is left behind in our quest to providing qualitative education in the contemporary setting.
How can we achieve adequate funding for education in the country?
Funding, without any doubt is very essential to education. However, the issue of funding of education to me is subjective, in the sense that there is little correlation between funding and management of the funds.
There are actually some competing issues between provision and management of the funds provided. There has never been any time funds provided are said to be enough; hence, it is more about usage of what is provided. It is using what you have to get what you want. The management aspect is more important. ,
