The Odu'a Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ODUACCIMA) says education can only thrive effectively through the collaboration of both local and foreign stakeholders.
President of the Chamber, Chief Kola Akosile, made the assertion on Friday while delivering a lecture at a two-day Retreat and Book Fair organised by the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Lagos Chapter.
The retreat had the theme: "Unlocking the Potential in Collaborating and Associating in Education for School Growth, Your School Is Really My School''.
Akosile said that relevant stakeholders in the education sector could be categorised as local and foreign.
"The local stakeholders include the Parents-Teachers Forum (PTF), Old Students' Association, government regulatory agencies and ministries, immediate community of the school, among others.
"The international stakeholders comprise; UNESCO, embassies, foreign schools, airlines, among others," he said.
According to him, the benefits of collaboration and association in education sector include; improved funding of the sector, community relationship, enhanced socio-cultural education and adequate security.
He also mentioned development of projects, discipline among children, interpersonal relationship, integration of parents in school's management and enforcement of core values, among others.
Akosile said that while the government had over the decades devoted substantial financial resources to improving the education system, the result was not appreciable due to the complexity and structure of the sector.
He said that the ability to work collaboratively with others was an essential component of contemporary school reform and further access to education.
"Consequently, the private sector players and relevant stakeholders can greatly contribute. No doubt, they will greatly harvest their share of the dividends of such investments,'' he said.
The chamber's president noted that access to education was not just a moral imperative but also a driver of economic development and a key pre-condition for producing a skilled workforce.
Akosile said that collaboration by all would improve learning environment and would bring out the potential of the students.
About 2,000 participants comprising school owners, administrators and operators, royal fathers, government officials, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) attended the event.
The retreat was geared toward charting a new course for the education sector, especially the private schools.