In response to the keen interest that has been shown by the Governments of Six Southwest States on improving the quality of education in the Region, DAWN Commission with the support of DFID facilitated a meeting of the education policymakers and actors ranging from the six States’ education commissioners and their Permanent Secretaries including the leadership of the States’ Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and some chairmen of the education committees of the States’ Houses of Assembly to brainstorm on the salient issues militating against functional basic education and collectively develop workable solutions. The platform also provided an opportunity for peer learning and experience sharing on good practices and at the end of the 2-day session, participants unanimously consented to the setting up of Community-of-Practice that will meet periodically for peer review.
The forum identified six major challenges that need to be addressed if we must have quality basic education that will prepare the young children in the Region for the 21st century workplace. The identified issues are; School Governance, quality of teachers, out-of-school-children, digital literacy, substandard/unapproved private schools and of course, education data management.
The event was held on the 6th and 7th of February, 2020, at the Lagos Continental Hotel. Officials of DFID, World Bank and PERL made a data presentation to as a way of reflecting the current performance in the States. The Director-General of DAWN Commission, Mr. Seye Oyeleye, in his welcome address, appreciated the interest of the attendees in the Region’s education sector and also charged the policymakers to do more by rising up to the challenges of education in the Region.
The Secretary to Lagos State Government, Mrs. Folashade Jaji, who declared the event open reiterated the need to focus on basic education as we prepare for the future. She also intimated the audience on policies being implemented in Lagos State towards improving basic education.