Pupils clean Lagos street

Some of the pupils during the sanitation

Pupils of a private school in Lagos State took over Church Street, Onipanu, on Wednesday, picking dirt and litters from every nook and cranny of the area.
The pupils, drawn from the nursery, primary and secondary arms of Shinning Light Schools, also cleared street gutters, in what they called a practical application of civic education.
The children, who wore nose guards and hand gloves, said they were motivated by the desire to keep their environment clean and keep other children living on the street safe.
The exercise, which started around 11am, engaged the pupils for an hour after which they went into their school to continue the day’s classes.
Residents of the area, who watched the children while the cleaning lasted, later expressed satisfaction with the new look of the street.
The proprietor of the school, Mr. Niyi Oduyemi, who supervised the exercise with other teachers, said the school would continue the practice, as a way of impacting their community.
He urged the government to mandate other schools in the state to follow suit.
He said, “Even though the Lagos State government is doing a lot in the area of sanitising the environment, it should mandate every school in the state to always do practical civic education. This is because civic education is not just to teach children about governance but also how to relate with their environment.
“With the number of schools in Lagos, I know the state will achieve its aim of a safe environment if all schools imbibe this.”
One of the pupils, Awonuga Balikis, 12, said she was excited by the opportunity to affect her environment, saying “The practical session we have done today has given me a better understanding of civic education.”
A 14-year-old SS2 pupil, Noah Oduyemi, said the community service could also keep the residents free of diseases.
He said, “I think this will send a message to children like us that cleanness is next to godliness, they can also imbibe clean habits.