HDI organizes training for SBMC to better the lives of school children

Olufunso Owasanoye

Human Development Initiatives, a non-governmental organization in conjunction with MacArthur Foundation has organized a two days training on capacity building for School-Based Management Committee Members in Lagos State.

Speaking at the event on Friday, Mrs. Olufunso Owasanoye, the Executive Director HDI-Nigeria said, “It is the collective responsibilities of everybody in the society to see that our educational system works. This involves the parent, teachers, head of schools and government.

The programme officer of the organization, Johnson Ibidapo, in his words said, “The essence of this training is for capacity building for School-Based management committee members in secondary school in Lagos State. We want them to be well informed, well equipped and confident enough to engage, such that education delivery in Lagos State will be better than what we currently have.

Johnson Ibidapo, Progam officer, HDI

“We want a situation where SBMC and school administrators would be able to work together to ensure there is quality delivery of education either basic education or secondary education. So, at this level, we are building capacity to ensure that every child of school age is enrolled in school. We are talking of enrolment, retention and completion of education. Then, we want to ensure quality delivery of education infrastructures is met.”

He added that many of the participants have affirmed that the gathering has been of great value to them having learned a whole lot in capacity building.

“Initially they had training on capacity on emotional intelligence on policy of SBMC, what they should do and what they should not and what is expected of them. Now, we are stepping higher by introducing to them monitoring and tracking of projects, what they should look out for and who they should report to and all that.”

Mrs. Adekunle Kemi Malomo, a former Principal, said it is the responsibility of parents to see that their children get to school. “The school and parents have responsibilities of building the future of children together. If a student is not in school, it is the responsibility of the teacher to make enquiry about such child. It is also the duty of parents to go to school to check how their child is doing. This will help monitor the child’s movement and also give parents the insight of how their wards are doing in school.”

Adekunle added that teachers must know every student in his or her class and a mutual relationship must exist between parents and school teachers for a positive result in a child’s upbringing.

Professor Adebanjo Oyebade, in his own remark condemned the spate of kidnap and killing in schools. He has called on government to work more on security to wade off acts that could put many children out of schools.

Also, he has joined hands in the call for state policing. He said, "The best way to have a robust security outfit is the establishment of state police. It does not make sense for somebody in far away North to be posted to Southwest or an officer from the South-East being posted to the North for policing in a place he knows nothing about. Let there be state police and part of our security misfit would be solved. Today, kidnappers in great numbers invade schools to kidnap and kill innocent children when parents fail to pay ransom, this would only hinder the growth of education more.

"Today, there are some states, students are no longer going to school because of kidnappers and this is a bad omen for the country’s growth."

The event that took place at R & A Hotels limited, Majekodunmi, Ikeja, Lagos was well attended by educationist with Professor Stephen Oyebade present to deliver lecture.