Mrs Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, the Director General, Office of Education Quality Assurance Lagos State Ministry of Education has disclosed that an harmonious instructional days of learning will help to create equal educational standard in both public and private schools in the state.
Seriki-Ayeni stated this at the annual stakeholders’ meeting on harmonious academic calendar for 2021/2022 session.
She explained that it was important for both public and private schools in Lagos State to decide on a harmonious school calendar that would assist students to spend same productive instructional hours in the classrooms.
“It will also serve as pre-emptive measure in planning for unforeseen events and circumstances.
“The harmonious calendar will ensure that we are all being held accountable to the same standards.
“We are aware that some private schools, even low-cost private schools are very different, some are very similar to what public schools churn out. But there is a need to ensure that at the end of the day all schools are adhering to a certain level of quality and they will be held accountable as such”, she said.
Dr Femi Ogunsanya, the Chairman, Conference of Private Schools Association, Lagos State, in a speech stated that the deliberation was fruitful and productive.
“The meeting is needful as it will help all schools to have a blueprint with which they can operate their schools calendar, and observe the teaching and learning in their respective schools. So that one does not have advantage over the other, it is important to have an harmonious calendar.”
Ogunsanya urged the government to work closely with the private sectors, adding that they were partners in progress with them.
Mrs Bolanle Adewole, the Chairperson of the Planning Committee, Conference of Association of Private Educators in Nigeria, expressed her delight for the platform given the private school owners to air their views on issues that concerns them.
“The fact that they put us all on instructional time in class, I think nothing beats that and for me, it is key. We are very excited about this initiative, we are excited about the fact that everyone’s voice is being heard and it is not just one-sided. I think we will achieve much that way”, she said.
Mrs Olubukola Adewuyi, a Representative of APEN, and the CEO, Supreme Education Foundation, suggested that there should be room for flexibility for private schools, adding that they had their peculiar challenges.
“I mean that as a school if we want to resume earlier, we can resume early. If we want to close later, we can close later, if we need our holidays to be longer, we should be. But it is important that our contract/instructional time with the students are completed”, she said.
