March 21, 2019 by The Nation
Wanted: Stricter laws for standards in schools
The collapse of a three-storey building in Ita Faji, Lagos Island, where a school occupied a floor has raised questions about the failure of regulation. What can government do to ensure the establishment of standard private schools. KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE and BUSOLA SEBIOTIMO report.
Rules and regulations guiding the establishment of schools in Lagos State disallow the existence of school within residential or commercial premises. But this was not the case with Ohen Nursery and Primary School in Ita Faaji, Lagos Island. It was housed in a three-storey building on Massey Street, which collapsed last Wednesday, leaving many pupils and some adults dead. It was one of the 20,000 private schools in Lagos.
The school, which had about 100 pupils, was located on the second and third floors of the building. The first floor was residential, while the ground floor housed some shops. The building also had a pent house and had been marked for demolition three times in the past.
The Nation found that there are many private schools like Ohen Nursery and Primary School in Ita Faaji – many of them unapproved. However, the closest public school in the vicinity is St John Nursery and Primary School, at Tinubu.
A school owner, Mr Usman Akinsanya, said there were more than 30 private schools in the area and 1,000 on Lagos Island alone, most of which were not worth being called schools.
“We have over 1,000 schools on Lagos Island and over 30 around Ita Faaji vicinity with just one government school around (St. John) which is very old. Isaale eko is the worst. Most penthouses there host private schools and this endangers those houses because they are weak; for example, maybe they can only accommodate 50 people but with the school children, the house would have to accommodate like 200 people. Why won’t they break down? The government should do something about it, such schools are prominent around here,” said Akinsanya, who runs ACUAD Nursery and Primary School, Ita Faaji.
The inadequate number of public schools in the area as well as the seeming poor quality of education they offer has led to parents preferring to patronise private schools – even when the schools do not meet stipulated standards for approval by the state government.
Some parents, who spoke to The Nation, said they preferred private schools because public schools were few and overcrowded.
A resident of Obadina Street in Ita Faaji, who called herself Mrs Martins, said government schools were usually overcrowded.
“Times have changed. There is a significant difference between when I was in school and now. Some teachers in public school would ask the pupils to make benches as the government does not provide benches for them to sit on. The classes are overcrowded, over 100 pupils in a class, unlike private schools, where they would not be more than 28-30 in a class – with like two teachers in charge of such classes. And with such a crowd (in public schools), the pupils would not be taught well. That is why we parents prefer private schools, not that we all can afford it; but most are just pushing through to give their children quality education,” she said.
She, however, warned that the government should be circumspect about private schools that are approved to operate.
“Government should be extra careful when giving out licences; they should visit the schools first and see if it is really worth to be a school. There are a lot of private schools here, but no government school around. Before one can see a government school, one would have to get to Marina, Tinubu, hence, the patronage of private schools,” she said.
Mrs. Mariam Opeyemi, who also lives in Ita Faaji, said parents seeking quality education service delivery preferred private schools.
“First, there are not many public schools around this area and the private schools around here are cheap. Private schools are known to teach better than government schools and parents want the best for their children,” said.
However, another parent, Alhaji Wasiu, disagreed that public schools provided poor education.
“There is nothing special between private and public schools, in those days. Most of us attended government schools although there were a few rich children that attended private schools. Private schools are preferred due to civilisation now and also because they would quickly educate children in English Language unlike government schools. Children of very young age can already speak fluent English in private schools.
“My last child in JSS2 attends a government school, St. Peter, and they (government school) are already proving to be getting better; but they are not the best. Education is very important yet the government is slow about it. There is nothing my child who attends government school cannot do. I can even visit the school and ask what he is being taught and with the special lessons he does. He cannot speak English well but he understands when spoken to”.
Some of the respondents said the government needed to do more to monitor quality in public schools and it should shut down substandard private schools.
Though the government regulation stipulates that schools should have purpose-built structures, Mr Usman Akinsanya said it was common for teachers to start schools from one room.
He said: “Substandard private schools should be closed down because, for example, I have a school named ACUAD and some teachers in the school sensing an opportunity would leave the school, only to get a room or shop or a room and parlour and start operating a school because they know there is gain in private schools. The worst part is that some of these teachers do not even have NCE. The teachers they would employ are those that just graduated from secondary schools to teach the students. Schools that are not government approved or of good standard should be closed.”
Alhaji Wasiu said many schools on the Island did not have the space required to run.
‘’Some private schools around here are of good standard while others are not. There is a school beside my house which the government cannot approve because an approved school is meant to have space for the children to play in and a safe environment. But that school does not have any of that. But it is not their fault, but the government’s; they are lax in their duties. If the government does what it is meant to do, there would be no room for substandard schools,” he said.
Mrs Yinka Ogunde, founder, Concerned Parents and Educators (CPE), an advocacy group for best practices in the education sector, said the government was duty bound to ensure Nigerians had access to quality education, regardless of their socio-economic background.
She said: “It is the duty of government to educate its citizens, especially those who are not in the position to have access to good quality education. Now you have the poor in that area; you have people who are unable to afford qualitative education that may be some private schools. You don’t even have too many public schools even there again. We are leaving these people with absolutely no choice.
“There are some things that dictate their (poor people) choice of schools – cost, cost and cost. A lot of them cannot afford much more than they are getting. Even the ones in there, they can barely afford it. It is the duty of the government to take care of such people. Education should not be left in the hands of private operators because private operators will not be able to do the duty of government.”
The Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED) is the umbrella group of private schools that serves the low-income members of the society.
In the past, the Lagos State Government had clamped down on AFED schools for not being registered or operating according to laid-down rules and regulations for the establishment of schools.
Its National President, Mr Emmanuel Orji, told The Nation that space constraints in the densely populated area where the collapsed school was located may have limited the choice of properties to use for schools. He also said property in the area was expensive.
“Government has established regulations on the kind of structure schools can operate in. We keep to government regulations. For instance, a school that is more than two stories will not be approved.
“My members are basically in the slum areas. Our members cannot afford to build large structures; so usually they get land and start with makeshift structures.
“The area where this incident took place has old buildings and is congested. That may be the reason the proprietor may have used such building for school,” he said.
Expressing regret about the incident, he called on school owners to prioritise safety and security when establishing schools.
“It is unfortunate. My heart is with those who lost their loved ones and my prayers are with them. We pray this never happens again. I want to use this opportunity to say we want schools to keep to government regulations and put safety and security first,” he said.
President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) Lagos State, Alhaji Wasiu Adumadeyi, said the school was not under its fold. He, however, noted that he visited the site and promised greater cooperation with the government.
“No, the school is not among our members. But as an association of proprietors of private schools anything that concerns a private school, concerns us. We have been there today (last Wednesday) to assess the situation and pay condolences. We have resolved to partner with the Ministry of Education to ensure this never happens again in this industry,” he said.
“We are saddened more because of the lives of the young ones we lost,” he said.