Lagos holds capacity building workshop for quality assurance evaluators

The Lagos State Government on Thursday began a three-day capacity workshop for Quality Assurance Evaluators on report writing in order to keep them abreast of current global trends as well as entrench best global practices in schools’ inspection.

The state Commissioner for Education, Olayinka Oladunjoye, who declared the workshop open in Lagos, advised participants to take full advantage of the opportunity of the training so as to remain relevant, particularly in the light of the full take-off of the Lagos State Office of Education Quality Assurance next month.

Odunjoye, who was represented by the Director in the Quality Assurance in her Ministry, Mathew Olayanju, pointed out that the state adopted a new quality assurance approach to schools’ inspection in 2009 and has since put in place several activities and programmes aimed at improving learning outcomes.

She noted that no fewer than 300 inspectors have been trained by the state government in collaboration with the Education Sector Support Initiative Nigeria between 2009 and 2010 in order to implement the new approach to schools’ inspection in the state.

The ESSPIN, she noted, has also provided regular support to further build the capacity of the quality assurance readers/mentors especially in the production of annual State of Education report as well as integration of quality assurance reports into a data base.

The Commissioner averred that Lagos State has since become a reference point and a pacesetter for education quality assurance in Nigeria as other state governments have been coming to Lagos State to understudy State Quality Assurance in addition to a delegation from Burundi to understudy quality assurance in the State.

Oladunjoye commended the ESSPIN for their contribution towards the progress of quality assurance inspection approach in Lagos State, adding that the head of the new Quality Assurance Office will resume office next month.