The Lagos State Ministry of Education has said it has met stakeholders in the education sector on basic education admission guidelines.
This followed insinuations that under-aged pupils were being admitted into Junior Secondary Schools in the state.
A statement signed by the Head, Public Affairs Unit of the ministry, Mr Kayode Abayomi, said no decision has been made and no circular has been put out for implementation, adding that the subject was already under review in the state Ministry of Education.
“The attention of the Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, has been drawn to a write up being circulated on media space about a decision purportedly reached regarding the admission of under-aged pupils into Junior Secondary Schools in Lagos State.
“This is to affirm that the Ministry of Education has indeed received concerns from various stakeholders regarding this subject. As a consequence, meetings were held with various stakeholders and correspondence and minutes exchanged.
“Furthermore, the expected years of schooling at each level of education are entrenched in the National Policy on Education. The adverse effect of non-completion of the Primary School Curriculum and being rushed into Junior Secondary School before physical, mental, emotional and social maturity of children is well-researched and documented. Education is not only cognitive; other aspects must also be given due attention and consideration to produce a whole and functional youth who will be able to function effectively in the 21st Century,” the statement reads in part.
Adefisayo, in the statement, said meetings which had been scheduled with various categories of stakeholders such as Executives of Private Schools’ Associations and Parent Bodies, Office of Education Quality Assurance, State Universal Basic Education Board, Lagos State Examination Board, All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools, and Nigeria Union of Teachers was postponed due to the exigencies of the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
