A/Ibom vows to shut illegal private schools

Worried by the upsurge in the proliferation of illegal schools, the Akwa Ibom state government has inaugurated a committee to shut unregistered nursery/primary and secondary schools before the beginning of the next academic session.

Inaugurating the eight- man committee in Uyo on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Nse Essien explained that the tasked before the committee is to ensure the immediate closure of all illegal schools in the state.

“This move will ensure that no unapproved school exists when schools reopen in September. Comprehensive list of the number of approved schools within the state will be published on the state website and on social media.”

Essien mandated the committee to take up their responsibility without delay and enjoined the members to execute the task before them with diligence.

He warned the committee against any misdemeanour in the discharge of its duties as such attitude may negate government’s intention to sanitize the school system in the state.

The commissioner said any unregistered school would be marked and a closure inscription would be pasted at the gate of such schools while the proprietors will be prosecuted.

He said the committee would be segmented into teams to cover the three senatorial districts in the state and appealed to National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) to provide the committee with necessary information on schools that are flouting the order to shut down.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Helen Ante in her contribution, noted that notices have long been given to such illegal schools, emphasizing that any unapproved school who wished to register would have taken advantage of the days of grace to get full registration.

Ante suggested that there is need to involve residents around the school’s location to monitor while advising the police to liaise with their personnel at the various area commands to provide adequate support needed to make the closure exercise authentic.

The committee has the Akwa Ibom state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Zaki, Akwa Ibom House of Assembly Committee Chairman on Education, Godwin Ekpo, the state chairman of Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Prof. Maria Ikorok and Chairman, State Secondary Education Board, Dr. Umana Umana.

Others include, the Chairman, State Technical School Board, George Henshaw, Senior Special Assistant to governor on Education Monitoring, Mrs. Idingesit Etiebet and a representative of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools.