Ezekwesili Commends Fashola For Transforming Public Schools In Lagos

A former Minister of Education and World Bank Vice President for Africa, Obiageli Ezekwesili, on Tuesday commended the Babatunde Fashola administration in Lagos State for its pace-setting work and unwavering commitment to improving the standard of education in the state.

Former minister of education and former World Bank group for Africa vice president, Obiageli Ezekwesili

The former Minister who delivered the keynote address at the opening of the third Lagos State Education Summit with the theme, “Qualitative Education in Lagos State: Raising the Standard” held at the Eko Hotels and Towers, Victoria Island, also applauded the sterling leadership of the governor.
She said with the kind of reforms that has been started by the state government through its steadfast focus on delivery of teacher improvement, irrespective of whatever indices are used to measure it, the  has made very significant progress.
Mrs. Ezekwesili who, until recently the World Bank Vice President for Africa, singled out the EKO Project of the state government for its successes and the way it has been adapted to suit the Lagos experience, explaining that the EKO Project promoted accountability and openness through its approval of discretional grants by schools.
She maintained that the improvement recorded in external examinations by pupils in the state is indicative of the fact that the reforms and additional trainings being embarked upon for teachers are yielding results.
She urged the state government to continue with boldness to put the educational sector in its right place and also step up activities, adding that the state could indeed double the results that it had been recording in WASCE.
Delivering his address on the occasion, Governor Fashola explained that the state government had not taken any decision on whether pupils would wear Hijab or not, adding that the emphasis wa on what the children knew and not what they wore.
According to him, government is mindful of the inequalities in the society and thought also that her continuous investment in education would help to bridge those inequalities.
The governor stated that the results from public examinations showed year-on-year from 2007 that education was heading in the right direction in the state, noting that if it was a quick fix, it would have its many political appeals.
“It is not a quick fix. I understand that it is a very long journey. It yet may be many years long after we have left that we will see the result but it is a journey that I am convinced that we should undertake,” he said.