Speeches

Launch Of Free Textbooks For Pupils/Students In The State’s Public Nursery, Primary And Secondary Schools

Oct 8, 2008 - We have come here today for a very important purpose, which is very crucial to the sustained growth and development of the State. Our Administration is delivering, yet again, on our promise to spare no effort in investing in our children who are our future. This we are doing, today, by supplying free text books in core subjects to all pupils in our public schools.

Access to relevant text books is the surest means to the acquisition of knowledge by our pupils and students at the foundational level of their primary and secondary education.

I recollect that as a child we had access to all recommended text books at nursery, primary and secondary school levels. This contributed in no small measure to our healthy intellectual development. We were able not only to follow and understand our teachers in class; but also to review lessons after school and study on our own. We are determined to restore the glory of those days.

Our intention is to provide every facility to assist teachers and students who are the major stakeholders of our education sector. This initiative of free supply of textbooks will thus complement the ongoing extensive rehabilitation of infrastructure as well as intensive training and re-training of teachers in our public schools. The impact will most certainly be a marked improvement in both the quality of education and enrolment levels in these schools. For us, substantial investment in education is one of the necessary and indispensable conditions for the successful transformation and sustenance of Lagos as Africa’s model mega-city.

Through this first phase of the book programme, the State is providing 1,778,000 books for Primary schools, 2,804,000 for junior secondary schools and 1,343,000 for senior secondary schools in the State.

As a child-friendly and knowledge-driven administration, we will not relent in investing heavily in quality education for the children who own the future and on whom we will depend in old age.

Let me once again, appeal to each and everyone of us to pay our taxes willingly and promptly. What we are doing here today demonstrates our prudent and responsible expenditure of the tax payer’s money. My appeal to all of us, individuals and corporate citizens, is please pay your taxes so that we can do even much more for our schools, roads, hospitals, markets and every other sector on which the quality of our lives depend.

I also wish to reiterate the appeal I first made at the launch of the ‘Support Our Schools’ Initiative to individuals and corporate citizens to kindly partner with the Government in upgrading educational facilities and standards in schools of their choice. This collaboration which is in accord with Goal Eight of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is crucial for the revitalization of our education sector, the building block of our growth and development. If each one of us adopts just one school and adds value to that school by addressing its pressing problems, we can imagine what a huge impact will be made in hundreds of schools in the collective interest of society.

May I also seize this opportunity to enjoin all parents whose wards are beneficiaries of this initiative to please monitor the proper usage of these books with a view to ensuring that they are read and well taken care of. The promotion of a culture of maintenance in our children at such impressionable age will live with them forever. We urge parents to get involved to ensure that these books are not defaced, destroyed or used in such a manner as to defeat the laudable ends they are meant to serve.

In conclusion, I call on authors, educationists, publishers, parents and teachers to complement the State Government’s efforts by sharing experiences, leveraging resources and exchanging best practices to ensure the constant improvement of our education system. I also counsel our children to concentrate with determination on your education and make maximum use of these text books to climb the ladder of success in life.

It is now my pleasure to launch the free books programme of our administration to the glory of God, the advancement of knowledge and to the benefit of mankind through our children, the leaders of tomorrow, which begins NOW!

Eko O Ni Baje O!

Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN)
Governor of Lagos State