- She said the situation has contributed to the increasing number of youths roaming the streets within the community
- She explained that transportation costs alone discourage many parents from enrolling their children in those schools
- She also criticised the poor state of infrastructure in public schools, especially the shortage of chairs and other learning facilities
Parents under the Agege Parents Forum in Lagos State have expressed concern over the growing number of out-of-school children in the community, urging the government to establish more technical colleges to support youths unable to continue with conventional education.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the call was made on Tuesday during the forum’s Annual General Meeting held at the Agege Stadium.
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The gathering also featured a declaration of support for the second-term bid of Jubreel Abdulkareem.
Speaking at the event, the forum’s Zonal Secretary, Oluwatoyin Ike, lamented that many young people are left idle after completing their Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination due to limited access to higher education and vocational opportunities.
She said the situation has contributed to the increasing number of youths roaming the streets within the community.
According to her, many students who struggle academically after junior secondary school should be given the opportunity to acquire vocational skills rather than abandon education entirely.
Ike appealed to the Lagos State Government and lawmakers at both federal and state levels to establish technical schools within Agege and surrounding areas, noting that existing institutions in Ikotun and Ogba are too far for many families to access conveniently.
She explained that transportation costs alone discourage many parents from enrolling their children in those schools.
The forum secretary stressed that vocational education could help reduce unemployment and social vices among young people, adding that technical training had positively transformed the lives of several youths.
She also criticised the poor state of infrastructure in public schools, especially the shortage of chairs and other learning facilities, insisting that parents should not bear the responsibility alone.
According to her, government intervention is needed to improve educational facilities and create a more conducive learning environment for students.
Ike, however, commended Abdulkareem for supporting educational programmes in the constituency, particularly through the sponsorship of free Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board registration forms for students over the past four years.
She revealed that the initiative began with 100 students, many of whom later gained admission into universities, and has since expanded significantly.
According to her, more than 1,700 students have benefited from the free JAMB registration programme, while nearly 6,000 others have received support through different educational interventions.
She added that the forum recently partnered with the lawmaker to organise vocational training programmes in solar and CCTV installation for about 350 youths and students in the area.
Ike said many participants had already acquired practical skills that could help them become self-reliant.
She also called on schools and relevant authorities to ensure transparency and fairness in the allocation of scholarships and educational support to students.
Another parent, Aminat Quadri, said the educational interventions had helped ease financial pressure on families, while Adeleye Oluwaseyi noted that efforts were also being made to improve infrastructure and learning conditions in schools.
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