… To Present Final Copy of Academic Calendar to Commissioner for approval
As school activities for the last academic session in the year 2024 draw to a close, the Lagos State Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA) on Tuesday met stakeholders from both public and private educational sectors to harmonise the Academic Calendar for the year 2024/2025 which will take effects from September this year.
The stakeholders meeting held recently at the Education Resource Centre in Ojodu, was chaired by the Director, Quality Assurance Department of the Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA), Mrs. Hameedat Mojisola Sanni.
She explained that the outcome of the consensus reached at the meeting would be forwarded to the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education in Lagos State, Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, as a reflection of the joint resolutions of all school owners in the State.
The Director stressed that the Commissioner has the prerogative to approve the resolutions reached for the school calendar to become effective and authentic.
Addressing the education stakeholders, Mrs. Sanni expressed gratitude on behalf of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and the OEQA for their enthusiastic participation in previous sessions and the commitment shown towards maintaining the harmonized academic calendar.
She added that OEQA recognises the importance of collaborative efforts in creating a unified schedule that accommodates diverse interests and responsibilities.
“Harmonized calendar will not only enhance organizational efficiency but will also support academic productivity and mental well-being among students and educators. Key objectives of the stakeholders’ meeting included outlining essential dates and events critical for maintaining a cohesive academic schedule across schools”, the Director stated.
Furthermore, she stressed the need for heightened attention to students’ health and hygiene, particularly in light of the current cholera outbreak, advocating for regular hand washing practices, and vigilant monitoring of food safety to safeguard student well-being.
Mrs. Sanni called for focused discussions that would lead to a seamless and effective academic calendar for the upcoming school year, just as she thanked the attendees for their dedication and encouraged a purposeful approach towards achieving educational excellence in Lagos State.
Speaking on the content of the proposed school calendar agreed on by all the stakeholders, the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics (OEQA), Mr. Remi Abdul explained that the content of the proposal is of international standard as it agrees with UNESCO standard.
He warned school owners to desist from circulating the proposed 2024/2025 academic calendar for now, saying that the proposal is not yet a working document until it is assented to, ratified and approved by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Alli-Balogun.
While explaining that a series of stakeholder engagements had been held before the present final stakeholders meeting, the Director of Research, OEQA, Mrs. Evelyn Pelemo called for flexibility of the school calendar when it’s finally approved by the Commissioner.
According to her, the state government recognises that certain situations or circumstances beyond the control of schools might make it compelling for such schools to seek approval of OEQA for flexibility of the approved school calendar.
She, however, warned that requests for flexibility must be based on cogent reasons, not on any other reasons intended to buy time by school owners.
Mr. David Ojelade, a Deputy Director during his presentation described the administration of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu as a government that values inputs from all relevant stakeholders before a decision is made.
He attributed the level of compliance to the previous Academic Calendars from OEQA to the frequent engagement with stakeholders from both government and private schools in the entire planning processes of the calendar.
One of the stakeholders at the meeting, Mr. Olayemi Winiran said that the school owners will be pleased with the outcome of the 2024/2025 school calendar as it was jointly decided on.
Also, the Vice President of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools in Lagos State (NAPPS), Mrs. Egbetayo Kikelomo, thanked OEQA for involving the school owners in its decision making process.
She added that this will engender willful, seamless, voluntary and effective implementation of the academic calendar with a high level of compliance.
