Lagos Orders Principals, VPs Back to Classrooms, Expands School Facilities |LAGOS EYE NEWS

In a move aimed at strengthening teaching capacity and fostering a more disciplined learning environment, the Lagos State Government has directed all Principals and Vice Principals in public secondary schools to undertake classroom teaching duties.

The announcement was made on Thursday by the Honourable Commissioner for the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, during a Ministerial Press Briefing held in Alausa.

According to the new directive, Principals will be required to teach a minimum of six periods per week, while Vice Principals will handle at least eight periods.

Speaking, Mr. Alli-Balogun stated that these teaching assignments must be clearly reflected in the schools’ official timetables.

“Principals and Vice Principals have been mandated to teach for 6 and 8 periods weekly, respectively, and must be reflected in the schools’ time table,” he said

Furthermore, the Commissioner stressed the need for a “change of mind-set towards leadership and maintaining discipline” within Lagos State schools.

In a related effort to ensure accountability, the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA) has been instructed to intensify its oversight functions. The OEQA is now mandated to submit comprehensive and unbiased reports on incidents of truancy, sexual molestation, absenteeism, negligence of duty, and all forms of misconduct by teaching staff.

Providing updates on student admissions, Mr. Alli-Balogun announced that 4,763 out of 5,815 applicants (representing an 81.9% admission rate) have been offered provisional placement into the state’s Model Colleges and Upgraded Secondary Schools.

Addressing the recent increase in boarding fees for these institutions, which rose from N35,000 to N70,000, the Commissioner explained that the adjustment is crucial for enhancing students’ welfare, particularly in providing improved nutrition vital for their physical and mental development.

In other significant developments, a substantial number of students, totaling 17,575, have been successfully transferred into Junior Secondary School II (JSII) and Senior Secondary School I (SSI) from various public and private schools across the state.

Mr. Alli-Balogun also highlighted the government’s commitment to improving the learning environment through ongoing infrastructure projects. These include the construction of three LMDPG Educational Building Blocks at Community Secondary School, Itire; Oyewole Primary School, Oyewole, Agege; and Eko Junior High School, Okota. Additionally, renovation works are underway at Eko Junior High School, Okota, and Okota Senior Grammar School, Isolo, along with the rehabilitation of the Office of Education Quality Assurance in Igbo-Owu, Mushin, among other projects.

In a move to further support teacher professional development, the Commissioner announced the approval of two additional centers for the National Teachers Institute (NTI) in Lagos State. This expansion brings the total number of NTI centers in the state to twelve, extending coverage to more local government areas and building upon the existing ten previously approved centers