The Lagos State government has urged the management of technical colleges to develop workshops/centres in the schools to a level of quality and as sources of revenue for the state.

Jamiu Alli-Balogun, commissioner at the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, hinted this on the sideline of his school resumption inspection tour to Government Technical College, Agidingbi, Ikeja.

Other schools visited were Agidingbi Junior and Senior Grammar Schools and the Lagos State Technical and Vocation Education Board (LASTVEB), amongst other schools in Education District 1.

Schools in Lagos State resumed on Monday for the second term of the 2024/2025 academic session while Mr Alli-Balogun and other officials of the ministry monitored.

Mr Alli-Balogun reiterated the state government’s support to have a more conducive learning environment in place that would bring students’ potential to the limelight.

He added that the focus was on technical education and vocational training.

“While exposing and training your students on technical skills such as vehicle repairs in the workshop and other centres here, you can equally utilise the opportunity to generate some income for the school and state,” he noted.

On preparations for the 2025 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the commissioner said measures had been put in place to strengthen students’ preparations for the examination billed for May/June.

“To support this, the state is working on various initiatives, including early morning lessons, after-school hours tutorials, and Saturday classes to add to students’ knowledge for better performance.

“The state’s ministry of education has set up monitoring teams to make sure that the measures are applied, and the target is to have an impressive performance of our students.

“Parents also have their role to play in this plan, there must be active collaboration between teachers and parents as a means of monitoring students’ academic activities.

“Most importantly, there should be regular meetings between school principals and teachers. It should be a forum to encourage them and share strategies for effective teaching,” he said.

Mr Alli-Balogun advised the senior secondary (SS) 3 students to shun social media and other vices, especially as they prepared for their WASSCE.

(NAN)