Lagos Grants Provisional Approval to 101 Private Schools

Lagos State has granted provisional approval to 101 private schools and warned proprietors not to conceal incidents of child abuse, molestation or bullying.

The warning came from Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education Jamiu Alli-Balogun during the presentation of approval letters at the NUT Pavilion in Alausa, Ikeja, on Thursday, according to a statement on the state government’s Facebook page.

Alli-Balogun told proprietors to report abuse cases promptly and said failure to comply with child protection requirements could attract serious sanctions.

He also urged schools to hire qualified teachers, upgrade facilities and adhere to the Lagos State Education Law, the Child Rights Act and other regulations.

Alli-Balogun described private school owners as strategic partners in the state’s education development and said the government would keep supporting them.

Approval letters and verification

Director-General of the Office of Education Quality Assurance Sulaimon Ogunmuyiwa said the 101 schools included 63 nursery and primary schools, 35 secondary schools, two sixth-form schools and one boarding school.

He said QR codes had been added to the approval letters so their authenticity could be verified and counterfeit documents prevented.

Ogunmuyiwa said the agency had developed an automated registration and approval system awaiting the governor’s sign-off. The proposed system would let proprietors submit documents online and track applications, cutting the need for repeated visits to the ministry.

He stressed that provisional approval did not exempt the schools from meeting all regulatory standards.

Exam centre recognition

Amos Fajobi, Director of Schools Standard and Evaluation at OEQA, told the schools to start the Subject Recognition Inspection process, noting that provisional approval alone did not make a school eligible to serve as an external examination centre.

The inspection confirms the subjects a school can offer, and the report is sent to the West African Examinations Council, the National Examinations Council and the Lagos State Examinations Board.

Fajobi advised proprietors to complete the process before December, adding that inspections could be finished within two weeks if requirements were met. He said early completion would help eligible schools secure recognition to present candidates for WAEC, NECO and the Basic Education Certificate Examination at their own facilities, subject to approval by the examination bodies.

Officials from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, the six Education Districts, the Lagos State Examinations Board and the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board attended the event.