FG To Close Down Substandard Secondary Schools - Minister

Minister of State for Education, Mr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba

Minister of State for Education, Mr Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, has said the Federal Government would work very closely with states and local governments toward closing down secondary schools found to be substandard.

Nwajiuba, in a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations Unit in the ministry, Ben Bem-Goong, said such “mushroom” schools would not be allowed to operate.

The minister said that the National Secondary Education Commission, which is billed to take off soon, is part of steps and institutional preparations towards the crackdown.

According to him, the NSEC will work closely with relevant stakeholders to tighten the noose on operators of such mushroom secondary schools.

“As much as government is doing everything humanly possible to bring every child of school age on board, quality and standard must not be sacrificed.

“The Federal Ministry of Education will present a memo on standardisation and quality assurance for secondary schools at the next National Council on Education slated for Nov. 4th to 8th.

“The memo will also be presented to the Joint Consultative Committee on Education,” he said.

Nwajiuba acknowledged that education was on the concurrent list and appealed to states, local governments and private schools’ owners to take the issue of standard in the nation’s schools seriously.

The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, sponsored a bill for the establishment of NSEC which the President signed into law in May.

(NAN)