The Director-General, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Ronke Soyombo, has enjoined parents to make sure that they inculcate the right moral values on their children.
While stating this during the Education District II/Local Government Education Authorities Parents’ Forum Summit, which took place at Government Model College, Owutu, Ikorodu, with the theme, “The Parents’ Forum: Roles In Promoting Sustainable Qualitative Education in Lagos State Public Schools,” Mrs. Soyombo praised the commitment and dedication of Parents Forum in the last few years and its impact on the development of education in Lagos State, the growth of schools and concern for the progress of the students and community.
She also commended parents’ contributions in various aspects to the growth and development of Public Schools across Lagos State.
According to her, “The Theme of this summit brings to the fore the essentials of collaboration in moulding and reshaping our pupils and students through emphasizing the relationship between parents and children on one hand, and parents and teachers on the other hand, and finally parents and schools.
She, therefore, said that it was crystal clear that the support and partnership from parents in the academic and moral upbringing of pupils were of utmost importance. Mrs. Soyombo emphasized that the parents were genuinely expected to play supportive roles to help pupils gladly work through issues that might arise over the course of the school year.
The Director-General also called the attention of parents to modern trends in education sector. She told them to shun unnecessary spending by diverting most of their expenses on their children’s education, which may include buying computer sets for them so that they could broaden their technological knowhow and get them connected easily to the digital life. However, she was happy about the performance of the state in the last West African Examination Certificate (WAEC), which moved from fifty four percent (54) last year to sixty-six (66) percent in 2017.
Mrs. Ronke Soyombo urged parents to encourage their children to excel in their academic activities. She also beseeched them to monitor their notes, their homework and school activities, noting that the Lagos State government had
provided for their children, Mathematics, English Language and Science text books. The Director-General said that buying other books for them should not be too much for the parents.
She also said parents should create conducive environments and be role models for their children as well as motivate, monitor and maintain contact with teachers. Mrs. Soyombo also flayed parents, who were not at the summit, maintaining that parents should consider it compulsory to attend such forum, where the progress of their children would be discussed. She urged teachers to desist from all forms of immorality and indiscipline as they discharge their responsibility of imparting knowledge as well as societal and moral values on the students.
The Director-General did not forget to commend Governor Ambode’s administration for providing holistic education. She said that the State Government would continue to invest in infrastructure with the aim of providing quality education in all areas. The quality assurance Director disclosed that the policy objective was to facilitate the expansion and improvement of an all-encompassing and total education of all young people through equitable access to functional education and skills acquisition programmes.
The representative of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry Of Education, Lagos State, Mrs. Grillo Azeezat Aderoju, told the gathering that there are various ongoing reforms in the education sector. She revealed during the question and answer session that renovation was going on in almost all the schools and security has been improved upon in both boarding and day schools. While urging parents to support the State Government and their children, she also enjoined them to abide by the rules and regulations guiding the forum as she commended them for raising the bars of education in the state.
In his speech earlier on, the Chairman, Parents’ Forum, Education District II, Comrade Jemilade Mokolade, commended the Lagos State Governor, Ambode for his great contributions to educational development in the state. He praised the State Government for the provision of free education, ultra-modern building, infrastructural facilities and social amenities to most Public Schools in the State.
He also thanked the Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) Idiat Adebule, for super-intending the education sector adequately while also lauding the new security system in the schools. Comrade Mokolade pledged more parents’ support and sought government’s approval to handle cases of extortion in some parents’ fora as well as participate in executive elections in parents’ fora in the State.
There were award presentations, during which the former Special Adviser on Education, Otunba Fatai Olukoga; Ahaja Sherifat Abiodun; Comrade Jemirade Mokolade; Engr Asukuna, among other were given awards. Dignitaries at the event included Alhaji Monzor Olowosago, Publisher of Oriwu Sun and Mrs. Ottun, among others.