The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule, has charged principals and head teachers of pupil schools in the state to take ownership of their schools.
Adebule also expressed dissatisfaction over the poor attitude to work of some of them as well as bad sanitation in some schools.
Adebule gave the charge on Monday in Lagos while on an unscheduled visit to some public secondary and primary schools in the Agege and Ifako-Ijaiye local government areas of the state.
She said the inspection exercise was aimed at monitoring the state of infrastructure in public schools and how they are being utilized by the schools’ management with a view to addressing any infrastructural deficit noted in order to make teaching and learning more conducive and thus enhance better performance in examinations.
The Deputy Governor, who was accompanied on the inspection tour of about 11 public schools in the areas by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Olabisi Ariyo, condemned the head teachers of All Saints Primary School, Holy Trinity Primary School and Bishop Oluwole Memorial Primary School, all sharing the same compound, for keeping vegetal nuisance in their premises.
While giving them a one day ultimatum to clear their surroundings of the vegetal nuisance and abandoned vehicles that littered their environment, Adebule warned that the state government would not hesitate to discipline any school head whose conduct or attitude to work is not in consonance with the vision of excellence of the present administration.
The situation was the same at Ogba Estate Primary School and Ogba Primary School, where the deputy governor warned the Assistant Head Teachers who were on duty to as a matter of urgency clean their school environment or be sanctioned, adding that no meaningful learning can take place in a very dirty and untidy environment.
Adebule pointed out that over time, most school head teachers and principals have been displaying unpleasant attitude to work since their gross indiscipline has not attracted any consequences.
Hence, she warned that the present administration will not condone any act of indiscipline as any erring teacher will be made to face the law.
She said the government will do everything possible to make their job very attractive.
Adebule averred that efforts are already in top gear to address some of the infrastructural deficits noted in some schools, stressing that the ongoing solar energy projects in public schools will continue to make teaching more conducive for both the teachers and their students.
She disclosed that over 100 schools have so far benefited from the solar energy project as government is determined to complete the project within shortest possible time.
The highlight of the visit was the teaching of Primary 2 pupils of Ahmad Memorial and Muslim Primary School, Agege by the deputy governor with loud ovation by the pupils.