The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools on Monday urged government at all levels to enforce standards on operators of substandard schools.
Chief Yomi Otubela, Deputy National President of the Association, who made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
Otubela said it was not out of place for the government to consider a clampdown on schools operating below minimum standards, especially when it was unsafe for the students.
He said minimum standards as prescribed included: running a school with qualified teachers, which for a primary school is a minimum of National Certificate in Education qualification for the teachers.
The NAPPS boss said that operators of the Junior Secondary Schools could also manage a graduate of NCE but the Senior Secondary School teachers must be a degree holder certified in Education.
He said that the environment where a school was situated must also be safe for lives of the students, teachers and other non-teaching staff as well as their property.
Otubela said: “Once this is done, minimum standards have been met.
“Where the Nigerian child school is, is a matter of concern to us because they are top on our agenda.
“We are not saying that you must get about eight hectares to 10 hectares of land before you meet minimum standards.
“A school can be run on two plots to three plots of land with neat, safe environment, qualified teachers and be standard.
“Most of the defaulters are acting out of ignorance, while some of them are looking at the challenges in the society and using it against the less-privileged.
“For those uncertified school operators who are not ready to step up their standards, government might consider a clampdown on them, especially when the school isn’t safe for the students.”
He noted that it was the association’s responsibility to collaborate with the government in educating operators of such uncertified schools who were ready to change and engage them for proper guidelines.
The NAPPS official said that the association was reaching out to defaulting school operators to sensitise them on the need for seriousness to achieve standards.
He said: “We will continue to sensitise the public on substandard schools and what to look out for to recognise them.”
According to Otubela, as part of NAPPS sensitisation efforts, we organised an annual National Conference in the six geo-political zones of the country and circulated the resolution reached through the mass media.
He said that schools were also mandated to organise the Parent-Teachers Forum to enable parents to be more actively involved in the running of schools and be part of its administration.
He said: “NAPPS is not empowered by law to speak ill of any school or clampdown on them.
“We expect that the more we advocate on minimum standards and measures, parents will be equipped on the implication of patronising any substandard school.
“Also, operators of such uncertified institutions will see reasons and do the needful to meet minimum standards.’’
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