Chief Simeon Ujah, the Ejeh of Olamaboro, on Monday urged the Kogi government to close down all substandard and illegal private schools in the state.
Ujah made the call when the state Commissioner for Education, Science & Techonolgy, Rosemary Osikoya, visited him at his palace in Olamaboro Local Government Area.
The traditional ruler said the proliferation of substandard and illegal schools in the state, especially in Olamaboro LGA, was alarming and should be checked.
He appealed to state government to close down all illegal and substandard schools to allow the public schools to thrive.
He said: “We have the list of those substandard schools in Olamaboro, and the stakeholders have agreed to work with government to go after them and close them down.
“It is not the matter of just getting licence, but what matters is strict adherence to guidelines and regulations for schools’ operations.
“We cannot afford to toil with the future of our children by raising hooligans and criminals through substandard schools.
“We must give our children quality education and ensure that we bring out the best in them, because they are our future.”
Ujah said he was a product of public school and a proud son of a teacher: “My father taught me in primary and secondary schools”.
He added: “We need the head teachers back in our schools; we must retrieve the lost glory of education in public schools in our LGA.”
In her remarks, the commissioner said the governor had given the directive to close down all illegal and substandard private schools operating across the state.
Osikoya said the State Government had declared a state of emergency in education, and would create the enabling environment for private public partnership in the sector.
According to her, a recent report by UNICEF revealed that Nigeria had over 10 to 12 million out-of-children, and over 65 million illiterates, the highest in the world.
She said: “We need the support of traditional and religious institutions and other stakeholders to help educate, encourage and bring our youths and children back to school.
“The ministry conducted annual school census in July funded by the state government; the first time Kogi will have a comprehensive data of all public and private schools in the state for effective planning.
“The governor has given directive to close down all illegal and substandard schools across the state.
“But we need to sensitise the relevant stakeholders on policies of government, expectations and minimum requirements for school establishment and operations.”
She said the ministry would be sensitising all relevant stakeholders in the sector such as parents, teachers, proprietors, religious and traditional institutions, among others.
She added that the government would also harmonise fees payable in schools in order to stop the proliferation of charges in all schools across the state.
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