Hardwork is the way to go, says Fashola to students

Dame Fashola, initiator of LEARN, with the students.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has enjoined parents in the state to teach their children and wards the virtues of hard work insisting that it is the only way to success in life.

Governor Fashola, who spoke at the closing ceremony of this year’s Summer School of the Lagos Empowerment And Resource Network (L.E.A.R.N.), said all the reforms in education being embarked upon by the State Government would come to naught if the children did not imbibe the virtues of hard work.

He also enjoined the children to be focused and ready to learn through hard work and dedication to their studies adding that infrastructure and uniforms do not depict the value of a student but what the student has learnt through hard work.

Thanking the First Lady and initiator of the L.E.A.R.N. Project, Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola, for her dedication to the project in the last five years, the Governor noted that through her efforts, the children have gained self confidence and imbibed the virtues of leadership and hard work with which they could face the challenges of the future.

The Deputy Governor, Hon. (Mrs.) Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, said the opportunities being made available to the students through project L.E.A.R.N was such that would lead them to expected goal of being future leaders of the country.

The First Lady and initiator of the project, Mrs. Fashola, recalled that when the project was initiated five years ago, the objective was to engage the students positively during the long summer vacation adding that the idea was “to, first and foremost, make them responsible and secondly keep them safe and off the streets”.

 “To the glory of God, today we are proud and humbled that we have touched the lives of  over 20,000 children positively” the First Lady said adding that this year’s programme commenced on August 6, 2012, with a total of 3, 500 students in seven centres across the State namely, Agidingbi, Ketu, Ibeji-Lekki, Mushin, Surulere, Egbeda and Ojo.

The students, according to her, were tutored in core subjects in Education such as Mathematics, English Language, Moral and Civil Education, Entrepreneurial Studies, Leadership, Transport and Safety Education, Security Education and Computer Studies, and in Vocational/Skill Acquisition such as, Barbing, Hairdressing, Tailoring, Gele and Make-up, Catering, Bead-making, Photography, Hat making and Event decoration.

The programme, the First Lady said, also included Recreational activities such as Scrabble, Monopoly, Chess and Football adding that a major highlight of the programme was the introduction of Entrepreneurial Studies and Transport and Safety Education.