Human Development Initiatives, HDI has tasked the Lagos State Government to increase the State funding for education to 20% of public expenditure.
HDI made the demand in a press statement signed by its Executive Director, Mrs. Olufunso Owasaonye, in commemoration of the 2021 Global Action Week for Education, GAWE.
Mrs. Owasaonye noted that the state can afford to increase its budget for education if it “increase its tax base” thereby increasing access to resources.
The statement reads in part that, “the Lagos State Government needs to take decisive actions to block all loopholes in revenue generation and administration of funds; review its policy on granting tax holidays/incentives, and broaden its tax base to increase resources while upholding tax justice.”
HDI also demanded that the Lagos State government should “ensure inclusive education systems through equitable financing and programmes that prioritize the most marginalized.
“Provide free quality and inclusive education for all and end the trend towards the privatization and commercialization of education.
“Improve the quality of teaching through adequate recruitment of professional teachers, improved remuneration and continued teacher training such that there will be no vacuum in manpower.”
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Regarding access to education for girls and children with disabilities, HDI tasked the Lagos State government on the need to “continue to listen and respond to the voices of the socially excluded and most affected especially the girl child and children with disabilities; and encourage safe space for individuals and civil society to speak up and participate in the governance of education.
“Reform school system and infrastructure to be more user-friendly, especially for girls and children with disabilities.
“Equip schools with needed support systems to aid inclusive learning including a more robust teachers’ welfare that can attract the best brains into the teaching profession especially at the basic level.”
The group also added that it is imperative that the government “sets up a Community of Practice to provide online resource materials and expertise for teachers’ capacity building and for driving the implementation of the State Inclusive Education Policy.
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“Facilitate the process of making the Lagos State-owned tertiary institutions to provide professional courses on inclusive education to support the implementation of inclusive education policy of the State.”
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