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LAGOS STATE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION PLEDGE TO MAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS MORE GENDER RESPONSIVE

LAGOS STATE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION PLEDGE TO MAKE PUBLIC SCHOOLS MORE GENDER RESPONSIVE

Human Development Initiatives and ActionAid Nigeria with the support of Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) organized a zoom meeting on Making Lagos State Schools Gender Responsive on Wednesday 26th August, 2020. The meeting was attended by CSOs, Media, Teachers and other stakeholders, the meeting had three panelists, they are Mrs. Abosede Adelaja, Permanent Secretary Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Olufunso Owasanoye, Executive Director of HDI and Mrs. Kyauta Giwa, Education Project Coordinator for ActionAid Nigeria.
Lagos State is one of the most populated states in Nigeria, boys and girls of school age form a larger percentage of Lagos’ population. The dialogue was aimed at examining factors affecting either girls or boys, or both from accessing quality, equitable, inclusive, and free education and to find ways to address them through achievable recommendations. During the dialogue, we were able to review some of those factors affecting girls and boys from accessing quality, equitable, inclusive, and free education and recommended possible ways of eliminating these barriers. At the end of the dialogue/meeting, the following recommendations were reached:

  1. Lagos State Government need to mainstream inclusive education.
  2. Lagos State Government in collaboration with CSOs, need to train public school teachers on inclusive education teaching methodology.
  3. There is need for Lagos State Government to include CSOs, Media and other Education Stakeholders in the development of Education budget.
  4. Considering the current COVID-19 pandemic there is a need for government to provide WASH facilities to schools lacking WASH facilities.
  5. CSOs need to carry out more advocacy and engagement on making Lagos State School Inclusive.
  6. There is need to review instructional materials used in school to make them gender responsive.
  7. There is need to take the message of child’s right law to the grassroots, to protect vulnerable children especially the girl child.
  8. There is need to engage SBMC members to help in the effort to reduce the number of out of school children.
  9. There is  need for government to encourage the girl child to be interested in STEM subjects.

The zoom meeting was streamed live on Facebook and all questions raised were adequately responded to by the panelists.