Improved equipment needed in Lagos schools
By HENRY OKONKWO In Lagos State,
Hope is on the horizon as a group of social workers and stakeholders have braced up to work with the government towards improving the quality of education in the state, and participate in tracking utilizations of education funds. At a roundtable organized by the Human Development Initiatives (HDi), various school-based Management Committees (SBMCs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Parents Teacher Associations (PTAs)/ Parents Forums (PFs) and Community Development Committee (CDCs) converged to review the Year 2015 Action Plan of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) aimed for implementation this year. Their assessment was hinged on a newspaper publication where the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LSUBEB) declared that it has assessed UBE grants, and drew out projects they intend to accomplish at select public schools in the state with the fund. They further urged eligible contractors to present their bids to be awarded the contract to execute the projects. As a result, the stakeholders in a two-day brainstorm session recently at the Elomaz Hotels, Maryland, Lagos set up a 9-man committee, to distil their resolutions, and subsequently make it public. In their release, the stakeholders while commending the Lagos State Government for transparency in publishing the Year 2015 – Lagos SUBEB/UBEC Invitation to Bid, noticed skirmishes when they compared the state’s action plan to what is contained in the publication. They discovered that five projects contained in the plan were omitted in the said publication, and then requested government to reconsider the omitted projects. Reading out the statement, Mrs. Olufunso Owasanoye, the Executive Director, of HDi, further urged Lagos SUBEB to ensure quality work in the four school projects that would be rehabilitated. They also called the attention of government to students with special needs. “We commend the state government for adhering to the action plan against all odds in line with our recent experience within Lagos State on collapsed buildings. We advise that quality jobs should be done and well implemented. We acknowledge that the Lagos State Government recognises the importance of this problem to learning outcomes.” Also “due to the current insecurity around schools in Lagos State, we advise that the fencing projects should be done speedily without compromising on standard. And in the light of the inclusive education policy of Lagos State, we request that LSUBEB should remember to include infrastructure and commodities for the benefits of people with special needs/People Living with Disabilities (PLWD).” The forum highlighted the importance of proper monitoring of the projects, and then implored the government to bring accountability, transparency and integrity into the process.