Cultism, drug abuse eradication requires govt, society, parents’ collaboration — Lagos commissioner

Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Basic and Secondary Education, Hon. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, has called for a concerted effort among members of the society, government and parents to eradicate cultism and abuse of drugs in the society.

Alli-Balogun stated this on Thursday at the ministerial press briefing to mark the first anniversary of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, noting that the decaying moral discipline contributed a great deal to indiscipline among youths, leading to cultism and abuse of drugs.

The commissioner posited that unless society returns to the way things were done in the past, when the community trained a child, the issue of moral decadence would be on the increase.

He, however, noted that cultism was not visible within school premises in Lagos State, particularly in primary and secondary schools, but may be visible outside the school and, therefore, the need for parents to be aware of their responsibility to train their children on the right path to follow.

This was just as he noted that the state government always monitored the movement of students and did not encourage students to be moving about during school hours, saying that this ensured that all public schools in the state were fenced around.

“Cultism is not always visible but may be visible outside the school, not within schools in Lagos.

“Irresponsibility is from the home, which means those students engaging in cultism and drug abuse are not properly trained,” he said.

Alli-Balogun, while maintaining that training a child required society’s efforts, the government’s intervention and parental input, added that many organisations had now taken it as a responsibility to help train the children.

“It requires collective efforts, we must all come together to eradicate cultism, drug abuse, it is community bond, moral values is decaying,” he said.

On some private schools in the state charging exorbitant school fees, the commissioner said the state government cannot regulate the fees a school can charge because, operating schools is a free business, but quickly added that there were regulations guiding it.

He assured that the government won’t go after such schools if they do not violate the law of the land, maintaining that the State Ministry of Education monitors the activities of the private schools and public schools through its various agencies to ensure there is discipline among the students and teachers.

Speaking further, the commissioner disclosed that 12 private schools had been shut in the last year for not complying with the regulations and laws of the state government.

This was just as he further assured that the ministry also gives the interest and welfare of teachers priority, saying that, in the last year, a total of 1,059 teachers were trained on capacity development, while 1,000 people were recruited into the teaching service.

Alli-Balogun added that teachers, who were on pension, were also given priority in ensuring they were not denied of their pension, saying that 1,309 pensioners cases were treated in the last year.

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