Agbaje: Basic education, our priority

Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has described as unacceptable, the poor state of primary education in the state.
The candidate, who said this during an interactive session with stakeholders in the education sector, called on those in authority to take education, especially in primary school, more seriously.
He warned that if urgent action is not taken to save education in public schools across Lagos State, everybody definitely, will suffer in the long run.
According to Agbaje, all the technology giants and great thinkers of this age would not have accomplished their huge successes in their different fields of endeavour if they did not have the opportunity of a solid education at the base.  
Education, he insists, is a country’s ultimate investment and every serious country is duty-bound to invest heavily in this all-important sector because it represents the future.
 
“For any child to dream of fulfilling his ambition in life, he or she must have a solid base in his or her educational pursuit.
That is the gospel truth and we must not shy away from this reality. Our leaders today who turn blind eye to our children’s right to quality education, both in primary school and beyond, were all beneficiaries of free and compulsory education many decades ago. So, the onus is on them to also extend the benefits they enjoyed unconditionally in their days.
 
“We promise to re-enact those good old days again in the interest of our children and their distraught parents. I know many parents, including the less privileged ones who are withdrawing their children and wards on account of poor primary education outcomes in public schools in Lagos State.
 
“It is a shame that we found ourselves here. Any politician who does not have a concrete plan on how to improve education does not deserve your votes. For us in PDP, education is a priority and we promise to do everything possible to address all the unresolved issues of primary education in our dear state.
 
“Lagos, as Centre of Excellence, deserves the very best in education. We must do our best to guaranty the future of our children. But above all, we must avoid openly playing politics with the education of young people; the surely deserve better.”