The Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA) has expressed concern about some schools in the state failing to adhere to the stipulated academic calendar, just as it begins compiling a list of those who failed to comply with the resumption date of Tuesday, January 4th, 2022.
Director-General of OEQA,Mrs. Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, emphasized that part of the Office’s mandate is to develop a harmonised school calendar in collaboration with stakeholders in the education sector and ensure compliance, emphasizing that the OEQA officials’ monitoring exercise was to assess the level of compliance with the resumption date, students’ presence, and COVID-19 safety protocols.
The DG explained that the Y2021/2022 harmonised school calendar was developed in June 2021 in collaboration with stakeholders to ensure uniformity in the education system, revealing that some schools disobeyed the directive. According to her, the agreement was communicated to all schools and associations in order to ensure that educational standards and learning systems were equal.
The Director-General, who decried noncompliance with the approved resumption date, said: “Last term, it was observed that despite extensive sensitisation on the importance of having a synchronised school calendar, many schools failed to comply with the mid-term break as mandated in accordance with the academic calendar”.
“During our recent exercise to monitor the level of compliance with Tuesday 4th January, 2022 resumption date, we observed that the level of compliance was low. We are going to seal the schools that have not adhered to the academic calendar with ‘Notice of Non-Compliance’ stickers and issue letters of invitation to the Administrators to visit our office in Alausa where further disciplinary actions will be taken”, the Director-General stated.
She emphasised the importance of all schools, public and private, adhering to the academic calendar in order to ensure that all students in Lagos State receive an equal education.
As a result, Seriki-Ayeni urged school administrators to communicate effectively with parents in order to prepare their children for resumption as soon as possible, claiming that it takes an entire term to prepare for a new term.
The Director-General also implored school owners to focus on values in schools and engage parents, students and staff on the need to come to school prepared in order to have a strong start.
