COVID-19: A’Ibom threatens to shut erring private schools

The Akwa Ibom state government has threatened to close down any private school that introduces online programme as a ploy to continue the third term session despite government’s order to suspend academic activities due the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state government is contending that it has not authorised any form of resumption of schools, either in school’s environment or online for the third term 2019/2020 school year.

It therefore, threatened that any school, either public or private that goes contrary to the instruction to keep schools closed till the environment is safe enough for children, would have its operational licence revoked while defaulters would be prosecuted.

Commissioner for Education, Prof. Nse Essien, who gave the warning in Uyo on Monday during an interactive session with stakeholders in the state, said the state government would announce the resumption date of both public and private schools in the state when it is convinced of safety of the children.

Prof. Essien regretted that some private schools in the state have reportedly commenced the third term online and have asked parents, and guardians to pay fees and purchase digital gadgets for their wards.

“This should be discontinued forthwith. Any school that goes contrary to this instruction will have its license withdrawn and will be prosecuted. However, we encourage our schools to start online revision classes with their students who are still at home,” he said.

Essien disclosed that the ongoing school-on-radio programme for junior secondary school lll and senior secondary lll in the state was put in place to help the students prepare for their external examination, adding that government has also commenced the school on radio programme for primary schools this week.

He disclosed that later in the week, a special website would come on stream where all the lessons so far delivered on radio would be hosted to enable students to go back, revise and download both audio and lecture notes already delivered.

Essein said following the ambition of Governor Udom Emmanuel to bequeath a solid foundation for the sector, there was the need to reinvent Akwa Ibom state to be an active participant in the coming digital revolution through quality education and innovations

He said the education system must go through a thorough transformation to meet up with the demands of the future.

The commissioner said it was based on the desire of the state to produce first class experts and professionals that prompted the state government to set up the education think tank committee to study, evaluate and make inputs that would overhaul the system

Prof. Essien therefore, solicited the continued commitment of the state’s education think-tank committee in order to realize its purpose of re-engineering the education system.

“We must reinvent Akwa Ibom state to be an active participant in the coming digital revolution through quality education and innovation.

“Our education system must go through thorough transformation to meet the demand of the future. Furthermore, the post COVID-19 education will be quite different from what it used to be,” he added.

Chairman of the Akwa Ibom state Think-Tank on Education, Prof. Hilary Inyang assured that with the commitment of all the stakeholders, the project of developing and launching the state’s strategic education roadmap would be successfully achieved.

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He assured that none of the memorandum from stakeholders would be left out in the analysis, adding that “the governor has said that solid education foundation will be one of the legacies he will be leaving behind and that is why we are having this 10- year (2020-2030) roadmap when significant development will be made.

“We have to gather information; no plan is worth implementing without gathering information, analysing information, looking at advantages and disadvantages of approaches, optimising systems, taking into consideration all the factors that is likely to work in the environment and that is our approach.

“The first step is gathering information, consulting you and this is why we have this forum.

“I can assure you that it is not our interest to push you out with what you are already doing, but we would like to enhance.

“We are not here to replace you, but to help you in respect to efficiency, cost effectiveness and expansion of some of the good things you are already doing.”