education is moving forward in lagos state

Education is moving forward in Lagos State – Babatunde Philips State ANCOPSS President

Let’s meet you

I am Babatunde Philips and I am the ANCOPSS President Lagos State.

Since when did you become Lagos ANCOPSS President?

Since 2010 precisely.

And how has the experience been?

It has been very good. We had some challenges, but we are moving forward and getting stronger and stronger.

Lagos State is a peculiar state in Nigeria. Schools are over populated and facilities are overstretched. How have principals in Lagos been able to square up to the peculiar challenges in secondary schools in the state?

Yes, apart from the academic aspect, there are quite a lot of challenges. You know Lagos is a mega city. There is constant influx of people from other states. However, the state government is trying. They have provided a lot of infrastructure. We still have to maintain the number of teachers we have. Indeed, we have been able to improve the standard of education in the state and we are moving forward.

How is ANCOPSS complementing the efforts of the Lagos State Government on the ‘Eko project’?

The Lagos Eko project is the initiative of the state government to move education forward in the state and there has been a tremendous improvement in teaching and learning in Lagos State. And even this happens to have assisted us in improving the standard of performance of our students in their terminal examinations. In the past, we started from as low as 18% pass rate by students with five credits including English and Mathematics. But today, this percentage has increased tremendously. So I am very proud that Lagos State is performing with the improved funding of education through Eko project which is a World Bank assisted programme.

As principals, how do you tackle challenges peculiar to big cities like Lagos among students such as lateness to school, truancy and other vices?

We now make schools very very attractive to students. Some of our law makers have assisted the state by providing means of transportation. They have been able to make available vehicles that convey students to and from school. Again in Lagos State, we ‘ve made it clear that students should not attend schools that are very far from their residence, so you will see as from 6.30am to 8am, these buses conveying students to the nearest bus stops to their schools. Then when they close, they also return them home. And the schools have been made very attractive these days unlike in the past. There are now many things which attract them. We have many clubs in the schools. Even government has sewn uniforms for students to partake in some of these clubs’ activities. We also have indoor games, debates where students are given prizes with the compliment of Lagos Eko project.

You recently held the 27^th State Annual Congress. What was your joy concerning the successful event?

I thank God. In the course of the congress, we picked as usual, a very educative topic so that we could enlighten ourselves on the modern use of teaching aids and of the modern use of materials to make the schools attractive and to move the administration and management of schools forward. Nowadays, schools have shifted from their traditional curricular contents. We now lay more emphasis on entrepreneurship and trade subjects. The school system is moving towards creativity whereby students that are taught up to SS3 should be able to create jobs for themselves. They should be able to use their brain to create a job. There are new subjects being taught in schools now with the introduction of the new National Curriculum. Twenty-nine trade subjects are now introduced in the new National Curriculum and these include, printing Technology, Air-conditioner/Refrigeration Technology, Animal Husbandry, Fishery, Hotel Management, Craftmanship and so many others. Even ICT is there. So, students are now taught on how to do things on their own. Even the making of shoes is there, manicure, pedicure, hair barbing e.t.c are all there also. So these are new innovations that will make students self sustaining. Job seekers will now be job creators and they can then fend for their future.

How true is the assertion that there is unbridled politics in the process of appointing school principals into schools these days in Nigeria? i.e. that you must be an indigene of particular area before being appointed.

That is not true. Even before you are appointed a vice principal in Lagos State, you have to go and sit for a written examination after which you go for an interview and it is only after that, you will be appointed as a vice principal. After spending the required number of years as a vice principal, you write an application, you sit for another examination, you book for another interview before you are appointed as a principal. So you must pass an exam, you must score at least 30 over 60 and score 40 in the interview. If you perform excellently well, you will be appointed. Lagos State is the most liberal states you have people from Benue State, you have people from Anambra State, people  from Imo State who are principals in Lagos. So if you are reliable, responsible, dedicated, focused, disciplined and hardworking, the sky is the starting point for you in Lagos State.

What do other States have to learn from Lagos then?

They should have an open policy whereby they make use of their best brains so that everybody will struggle to survive and become innovative, creative and have the capacity to profer ideas and solutions to challenges facing education in their various states.

One of the challenges facing education in Nigeria today is indiscipline on the part of teachers. It is not unlikely to see a teacher that is also a trader somewhere during school hours. What efforts are principals making in making sure that all hands are on deck in the task of moving education forward?

Let’s face the reality, teachers are not properly remunerated. They are poorly renumerated. However, we encourage them, we appeal to their sense of reasoning and we try to motivate them. In actual fact, the Lagos Eko project has assisted us because we normally send our teachers for training to open their eyes and let them know that monetary reward is not the only reward. There are other positive rewards when you are well equipped, when you are well enlightened. Now, teachers are being encouraged to realize for instance that if they go out there to deliver speeches or lectures, they can still earn some revenue. So we let them see that they have to work. I do not believe that teachers’ reward should be in heaven, they should also be able to reap their reward on earth.

Do you believe in the call in certain quarters that there should be the establishment of a board or commission for secondary schools?

I don’t think there is need to create a board for secondary schools. In the past, there was a board for secondary schools but now there is no board. If there is a board for secondary schools we have to be sending applications for approval of this, for approval of that. But today, that bureaucracy is not there and the process of administration is not being hindered as it would have otherwise been. And I think education is moving forward in Lagos State and also in Nigeria as a whole. When you look at a child in secondary school today, his level of intelligence, his exposition to ICT is not comparable to our own days. It is only that people are making a mistake that education is not moving forward, education is actually advancing.

It is said today that teachers are analogue while students are digitally minded. How do we bridge this gap in Nigeria?

I believe many of the states have started the establishment of ICT centres and teachers, principals have been sent for further training. Some of these states in the federation are having very fantastic ICT centres like Osun State, that has introduced ‘Opon Imo’. Kaduna state has also started. WAEC has told us that come 2015 the May/June examination will be ICT based. JAMB has also told us by 2015, they are going on ICT. So ICT has been made compulsory in our schools.

In the area of sports in secondary schools, there used to be principals, Cup in those days for discovering young talents especially in football. What are principals doing in revamping competitions in the likes of principals’ Cup today?

We still have principals’ Cup in some states. Some of these multinational corporations still support principals’ Cup in some states. But in many states, it is unfortunate they don’t have this kind of support. In Lagos State, Guarantee Trust Bank supports the state government in principals’ cup and it is through this competition that some of the clubs are getting young talented players. And some of the later athletes that represent Lagos are also got from these competitions. We principals have sent in papers to the Federal Ministry of Education to re-activate the principals’ cup so that the level of sports in schools can be elevated to a high standard because sport is one aspect of education because with the physiological nature of the students, it will assist in their physical development, mental alertness and overall well being. And even through sports, a lot of foreign exchange had been generated for Nigeria. We have a lot of our sportsmen playing football in Europe and a lot of them playing basketball in America. So I believe that with rejuvenated principals’ cup, we can get more and we shall do better.

What is your take on the proliferation of private secondary schools in Nigeria?

It is unfortunate and I will blame the ministry of education for that because there should be standard for the establishment of secondary schools. There should be a play ground, there should be an assembly ground, and students should be exposed to so many things. Not only the buildings or structures, there must also be other facilities through which the students can do exercises because education does not end up in the four walls of the classroom.

We also have proliferation of private universities these days. What do you have to say on this?

Had it been they are maintaining standards, it would have been very helpful. I will appeal to the National Universities Commission to make sure they are strict and to maintain standard. Some of these universities are only for profit making and that is why they charge exorbitant fees and the standard is not there. So I would like the NUC to maintain standards, to make sure that lecturers are well qualified so that the young graduates would also be qualified and be able to stand and defend their certificates.

As an educationist and parent what will be your advice for all stakeholders in stepping up the development of education in Nigeria?

To step up the development of education in Nigeria involves a lot of things. Apart from the recruitment of staff, the training of staff at local level, national level and international level must be a priority. Also, the provision of fund i.e adequate funding of our universities. They should also encourage researches among our lecturers so that if they have breakthroughs, there will be improvement in our society. If there is a breakthrough in the pharmaceutical sector or in the medical sector or in the engineering sector, it will assist the government and Nigeria will move forward and it will be a country to reckon with. Some of our lectures are always on the verge of breakthrough, but because of inadequate funding, they cannot pursue it to the logical conclusion.