Out-of-school Children: Lagos to Establish More Technical, Vocational Centres

Funmi Ogundare 

The Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education (MBSE), Mr Jamiu Alli-Balogun, has stated his ministry’s readiness to reduce out-of school-children by creating additional technical colleges and vocational centres across the state.

Alli-Balogun, who disclosed this while briefing journalists on plans to host the 67th National Council of Education (NCE) meeting in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education scheduled for  December 12 to 15,  at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, explained that the colleges would go a long way to accomodate and provide access for quality training. 

According to him, I have a mindset to boost the scope of technical and vocational education in the state in line with Governor  Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s  THEMES agenda.

“We want to take as much out-of school children away from the street, so that they can be in the school learning one skill or another, and be useful to themselves, society and even be employers of labour.”

He expressed concern about the issue of drug abuse among youths, saying that his ministry is collaborating with community leaders, police and other security agents as well as anti-drug clubs to stamp out the menace.

Emphasising on the NEC meeting themed, ‘ Addressing the Problems of Policy Implementations: Panacea for the Achievements of Education 2030 Agenda’, the commisioner noted that  the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman will chair the event.

Some of the delegates expected at the include officials from  ministries, agencies and government parastatals, federal and state ministries of education, Higher Education, Science and Technology; the FCT Education Secretariat, among others.