Lagos – An educationist, Mrs Adebola Lawal, on Thursday urged the Lagos State Government to introduce schools fees in public schools in the state to place value on education.
Lawal told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the low level of seriousness among public school students in Lagos could be attributed to the fact that the students were not paying fees.
She said that the attitude of parents did not help matters as they hardly monitored their wards’ academic performance nor visited the schools when needed.
According to her, the state government has done so much for public schools by even paying fees for external examinations for public primary and secondary schools students.
Lawal said that all these efforts of government were not being appreciated as students were often times begged to sit for external examinations paid for by government.
“Despite government’s effort in providing the infrastructure for free, standard and quality education, parents and students are not taking advantage of the opportunities.
“The students derive joy in playing truancy even when in school and being taught; they are busy playing watching pornography on their phones.
“We have warned students not to bring phones to schools and when such phones are seized, you see parents coming to harass teachers in school,’’ she said.
According to her, parents are at fault because they do not monitor their children’s performance in the school.
“When parents are invited for Parents Teachers Forum you will only see teachers and very few parents at the meeting.
“But if their phones are seized or the child is punished, you will see the parent coming to make trouble in school,’’ she said.
Lawal said that parents would be serious and monitor their wards’ performance in school if government introduced school fees.
“They will want to reap the fruit of the money invested on their children,’’ she said. (NAN)
