The Lagos State government is considering banning beer parlours and other drinking joints from operating near or around the school environment.

The government is also still consulting with relevant stakeholders on the 65 years’ retirement age policy – against the current 60 years – for teachers in state employment before implementation.

The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, gave this hint on Tuesday at a media interaction with journalists at Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja.

The interaction is to intimate the newsmen on the forthcoming 67th National Council on Education (NCE), which Lagos State is hosting between Monday, December 11, and Friday, December 15, at the Lagos Airport Hotel.

Speaking further during the question and answer session, the commissioner explained that the proposal to ban beer parlors from operating near schools is part of the move by the State government to nip in the bud or reduce to the barest minimum cases of drug abuse and other vices, particularly among children and adolescents in the State.

According to him, it has been observed that the sellers of hard drugs and the rest are more or less being carried out around businesses and ghettos that are not augured well for the society at large.

“We have also come up with safety clubs in schools in which we are partnering with the security agencies such as the police, Nigerian Immigration Services, Customs services, traditional rulers, CDAs, CDCs, and more.

“We have passed the message across and we are acting as an interface. Even last month or so, we held a meeting with the necessary stakeholders, and we are still looking forward to more.

“In Epe, for instance, they have launched the War Against Drug Abuse in schools as an idea to have community partnering with the police and other security agencies to campaign against drug abuse and other social vices.

“We’re not stopping there. It is a collaborative effort to raise our voices against the negative impacts of drug abuse in our society.

“So, we are looking for all avenues to change the narrative and part of it is that of the proposal not to have beer parlors near schools that I had talked about earlier.

“We believe that if students see, watch and move close to people drinking alcoholic substances or smoking and all that, they may be tempted or influenced to do the same.

“They may want to do so as an experiment and we don’t want to wait for that before we take a step.”

Nonetheless, the commissioner pointed out that the matter is still a proposal and would be subjected to legislation before it becomes the state government’s policy, adding that when such would happen is still unknown.

On the forthcoming NCE, the commissioner explained that NCE is the highest policy-making organ for education in Nigeria, saddled with the responsibility of considering and subsequently ratifying the recommendations from JCCE Plenary meeting, which was held in Abia State sometime this year.

He gave the theme of the meeting as “Addressing the challenges of Policy Implementation: A Panacea for the Education Achievement of 203

He listed those expected as delegates to include the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, who will chair the meeting, the Minister of State for Education, all the commissioners of education from the 36 states of the federation; state Permanent Secretaries of Education, Education Secretary (FCT), Professional Directors, the Secretary JCCE/NCE Matters, and Desk Officers.

He added that other stakeholders expected are the Nigerian Education Research and Development Council (NERDC) Ministry of Defence, Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB), National Mathematical Centre, Paramilitary Organizations, Civil Society Organizations, and Private Associations.

He said the Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, would be the Special Guest during the Ministerial Session, noting that the State government has been fully prepared to host a successful meeting.