The Lagos State government has threatened to wield the big stick against schools found to be operating a discriminatory admission policy against children based on their colour or country of origin.
The state government was reacting to a report that a school run by the Indians in Ilupeju, Lagos, operates a closed-door policy against Nigerian children.
The school known as Indian Language School, Ilupeju, is alleged to be operating a policy that bars non-Indians from admission.
Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, the state commissioner for basic education, who briefed the media on the activities of his ministry, said no registered school in Lagos is allowed to operates a closed-door policy on admission like prohibiting admission of children based on their parents’ nationals, colour or any other considerations.
Officials of the ministry of education, he said, have visited the school and investigation is being deepened to ascertain the veracity of the allegation.
He said an appropriate action would be taken if the ongoing investigation confirmed the alleged practice to be true.
According to the commissioner, denying a child admission to any school runs contrary to the Child Rights Act which the Lagos State government has domesticated.
“We have visited the school in Ilupeju and investigation is going on. At the end of our investigation, if the school is found culpable, it would be shut down. No school has the right to deny admission to any child,” said Tolani-Balogun at a briefing to mark fifth anniversary of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration.
