School administrators have appealed to government at all levels in Nigeria to support private schools in the country.
They also appealed to state governments to offer them training opportunities, grants and loans, communication gadgets and other relevant resources that would make them function effectively.
Private School Heads made the appeal at the Annual School Managers’ Training organised by the League of Muslim School Proprietors Worldwide, LEAMSP in Lagos State.
They said the only way forward to improve the educational sector in Nigeria is by including the privately owned schools in the scheme of affairs in Nigeria.
The school managers believe that funding, improving infrastructure, providing learning ICT gadgets to private schools would help to secure better future for every child in Nigeria.
The Chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of LEAMSP, Mansur Yaqeen, said the aim of the programme was to ensure that school leaders and administrators were digitally equipped and trained to meet international standard.
Yaqeen said; “The world is moving from analogue to digital. We should also be digitally compliant. He who dares to teach must never stop to learn. We intend to digitalise our schools, our teachers. But before then, we have to take the lead to be sure we have the capacity and the capability of what we intend to pass to others.”
“We need digital education in all operations of the school. The digital education ranges from records to meetings, to finance and so on. The school leaders should have experience in all digital applications relevant to school operations,” he said.
The lead facilitator at the event and Vice Principal of the Crescent Schools, Lagos, Mr Sulayman Oyesanmi said the aim of the training was to create an opportunity for private schools to restrategise and introduce Information Technology to students, to make learning and communication easier.
The National President, League of Muslim School Proprietors, Abdulwahid Obalakun encouraged governments to pay attention to education at all levels.
He said one of the aims of LEAMSP was to reduce the number of Out-of-School children in Nigeria.
*Schemes that could help*
However, the Chairman, planning committee of the School Managers’ Training, Mr Tolulope Animashaun said;
“We observe that some of our members are lagging behind in the application of digital tools in their school operations. That is why we took the topic to see how we could assist them to improve and work better.”
He commended the state governments and urged them to do more by coming up with schemes that would help private schools to acquire computer systems, laptops, and other useful equipment, to improve the school affairs.
One of the participants, the Director of Studies, Scholars Circle Schools, Alapere, Sanusi commended the efforts of LEAMSP in putting together the event, saying the programme would boost her teaching skills.
Another member, Nurudeen Omotosho also commended LEAMSP for coming up with the programme to train teachers especially on Information Communications Technology.