This news was culled from The PUNCH Newspaper’s publication of 20 May 2022

The Lagos State Safety Commission has advised educationists in the state to ensure that staff members, pupils and visitors are safe while in school.

Speaking at the sixth annual edition of the School Safety Summit, titled, ‘Child safety importance of a systematic safety education,’ held in Lagos, Director General, of the commission, Dr Lanre Mojola, said safety was important in schools and should be approached creatively.

“Teaching safely and teaching safety need to go hand in hand. The main aim of safety education is to provide necessary warning and precautions so that the possible accidents will be prevented. Safety education is a series of instructions and warnings that provides awareness about possible harms and injuries with an objective of minimising injuries and their fatal consequences.’’

Project Lead for Safe School, Lagos, Dr Bisi Esuruoso, stated that the reason there were casualties in school was because of lack of guidance.

‘‘Lagos State Commission is doing safe recruitment, check, regulating those who come around children. We need to become more aware because these things are happening in our society. Parents also need to police the schools themselves, they are the ones paying the fees so they must monitor too.’’

An education consultant, Rotimi Eyitayo, said it was important everyone was conscious of safety.

He said, ‘‘We need to recognise that a school that is not safe is not a school, schools make profits from parents, and parents benefits from schools, so the safety of every child is important. It is important for the school to embrace safety in its practice and teaching.’’

Chief Executive Officer, Safety Chic, Fisayo Ajala, said, ‘‘The summit is an avenue where parents, teachers are brought together to talk about issues on safety as concerns children.’’