Education
Allow Children Go Through Primary School, LASG Tells Parents
The Lagos State Government has enjoined parents and private schools to allow children go through primary six class, being a basic requirement in the system, before getting to secondary school.
Commissioner, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, gave the advice at the inauguration of the ‘ Hurried Child Project” in Lagos at the weekend.
According to her, the national survey submission states clearly that children should enter secondary school at age 12.
The one-day programme, organised by A Mother Love Initiative, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), was used to mark the 2021 World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse.
Also, November 19 has been set aside to commemorate the anniversary of the Convention on the Right of the Child.
Adefisayo spoke on “Policy Perspective on School Enrollment”, reiterating the national survey submission which states that children should enter secondary school at the age of 12 years.
“ Let us help our children pass through the normal classes as required, grow the way they should grow, in regular order, so that they do things as they are supposed to do in every stage of their lives.
“ Fine, there are some outstanding children but the average child or majority of the children should just follow their normal biological age and development, and that is what we and this programme are canvassing for,” Adefisayo added.
Speaking on the topic “The Mother’s Voice”, wife of Lagos State Governor,Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, condemned the act whereby some parents who over shadow their children’s lives, and push them hard for academic success.
Sanwo-Olu represented by Mrs Edith Egube noted that there was no shortcut to success, adding that “ we must, however, continue to speak strongly on the need for all to adhere to basic processes in child care and development.
According to her, a hurried child will turn out to be half-baked, which eventually will pose a serious challenge to society in the long run, adding that it was unacceptable and unhealthy.
“ I am glad to note that the Mother’s Love Initiative has put in place some series to revisit old, indigenous, and traditional African cultural practices that counter the possible patterns of hurrying a child.
“ We must continue to play up advocacy on the need to guide parents, teachers, and society on how to avoid the trap of promoting the practice of hurrying children in Africa,” she added.
Meanwhile, head external relation of the initiative Mrs Habatu Enwemadu, said the passion to create empathy for the Nigerian child was the brain behind the programme.
A professor of Highway Engineering at the Rivers State University (RSU), Prof. Emmanuel Osilemme Ekwulo, has identified poor designs, inadequate materials, insufficient testing, and lack of accountability as major obstacles to the success of highway construction projects in the country.
Ekwulo made this remark in Port Harcourt last Wednesday during the 128th inaugural lecture series of the university, where he presented a lecture titled “Removing Roadblocks: Rebuilding a Foundation for Reliable Highway Pavement Infrastructure.”
The university don lamented the consistent premature failures of road construction projects nationwide, despite huge investments by the government at all levels, attributing the problem to neglected basics and systemic principles in the industry.
According to him, rebuilding the foundation technically, institutionally, and ethically is crucial to building strong and lasting pavements.
Ekwulo emphasized the need for political will, professional integrity, and commitment to engineering excellence to overcome the challenges.
“The metaphoric roadblocks are those challenges causing premature failures,” Ekwulo said, adding that identifying and addressing these roadblocks is key to rebuilding the nation’s highways.
He recommended that institutions involved in road design and construction adopt a mechanistic-empirical design approach, and develop a comprehensive framework for implementing the Nigerian Imperial and Mechanistic Pavement Design System (NEMPADS) approach.
Ekwulo also advocated for mandatory traffic load analysis, strengthened university-industry collaboration, and funding for applied pavement research.
Corruption, he noted, is a major challenge in the profession, saying severe punitive measures are needed to curb shabby practices leading to premature road failures.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, described Ekwulo’s lecture as interesting and intriguing, highlighting the importance of implementing solutions to Nigeria’s highway challenges.
The Vice Chancellor also described Ekwulo’s proposals as practical and applicable to government and industry stakeholders.
He said the university is committed to research aligned with national development goals, referencing its NDV-12 responsive consortium production framework.
Zeb-Obipi noted that Ekwulo’s recommendations are timely and solution-driven, and will contribute to addressing Nigeria’s highway challenges.
Akujobi Amadi
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