Don’t Seal off Schools That Failed To Resume On Jan 4, Impose Fine, Traditional Ruler Tells Lagos Govt.

Mojisola Lawal

Reactions have continued to trail Lagos State Government proposed sanction for schools that failed to comply with the resumption date for the 2021/2022 academic calendar.

The State Ministry of Education had announced January 4, 2022, as commencement date for the 2021/2022 academic session which many of the schools, both public and private did not comply with.

For their non compliance with the directive, however, the Lagos State Government thought the Director-General, Office of Education Quality Assurance of the Ministry of Education, Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, disclosed that disciplinary actions will be taken against violating schools.

“We observed that the level of compliance with Tuesday 4th  January, 2022 was low therefore we are going to seal the schools that have not adhered to the academic calendar with ‘Notice of Non-Compliance’ stickers and issue letters of invitation to the Administrators to visit our office in Alausa where further disciplinary actions will be taken,” Seriki-Ayeni said in a statement.

Meanwhile, traditional head of Otumara community in the Lagos Mainland Local Government of Lagos State, High Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye, has advised the state government against shutting down schools that failed to comply with the resumption directive.

According to him, sealing off erring schools would amount to keeping the students away from learning while also exposing them to potential danger.

Kalejaiye however appealed to the Director-General, Office of Education Quality Assurance of the Ministry of Education, Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, to reconsider her decision to seal off erring schools and explore other means of sanctions.

He said, “The proposed sanctions of sealing off erring schools by the Lagos State government is undoubtedly with good intentions but we have to consider the effect of the sealing in the students.

In the first instance, what brought about the penalty? This has to do with the failure of school proprietors to comply with the state resumption directive. The students missed one week of academic activities with the non-compliance.

If out of correcting the wrong and the state seal off the affected schools, this implies that the students will be away from schools for the period their schools were shutdown.

Within this period, they could be exposed to various vices and other immoralities which could adversely affect their learning.

Therefore, I want to implore the state government and the Ministry of Education to consider other ways of sanctioning erring schools. Apart from sealing the affected schools, the government can impose fine or other administrative sanctions.

Proprietors of the affected schools must bear the brunt of non-compliance and not the students.”

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