Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday presented GAC car gifts to 13 teachers in Lagos. The governor also opened the newly-built containerised modular classroom block in Vetland Junior Grammar School, Agege.
Sanwo-Olu described the event as a fulfilment of his promise to replicate facilities at the new Elemoro Comprehensive Junior Secondary School in Ibeju-Lekki, across all education districts in the state.
The containerised modular school building comprises nine regular classrooms, three laboratories and four staff rooms, all solar- powered. The pupils, 620 in all, also have the opportunity to learn remotely.
The old buildings were also demolished and the grounds developed into playground comprising sporting facilities.
Sanwo-Olu said: “Our goal is to build schools of the future, public schools that are driven
by cutting-edge technology and that can compete favorably with the best schools anywhere in the world.
“All the classrooms are equipped with interactive touch-screens, and all the pupils will be given electronic tablets to aid both in-class and virtual learning.
“This is the future of public basic education in Nigeria and Africa, and is a welcome
milestone on our journey towards ensuring that no child is left behind in Lagos State.
“So far, our administration has constructed more than 800 new classroom blocks in the public school system, while also completing the rehabilitation of about 200 public primary and secondary schools, with several others ongoing.
“Also, about 150,000 units of furniture have been supplied to our public schools across the six education districts. We have improved security by installing watchtowers, perimeter fences, panic bells and flood lights, and have
prioritised the comfort of boarding students through the provision of beddings and other necessary items…
“We have not limited ourselves to infrastructure; the welfare and training of teaching and administrative staff in
our public school system have received significant attention as well. And I assure you that we will do more…”
Commissioner for Education Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo thanked Sanwo-Olu for keeping his promise of increasing the ministry’s yearly budgetary allocation. She described the building as ‘one for the ages’.
Chairman of the Special Committee of Rehabilitation of Public Schools (SCRPS) Hakeem Smith noted that ‘four derelict sinking buildings gave way to the new intermodal containerised building which will encourage hybrid learning’. “Pupils can learn remotely because of the type of technology deployed in the school,” he added.
