The Anambra State Government has issued a September deadline to all unaccredited private schools operating in the state to regularise their operations or face closure. The warning was issued by the State Commissioner for Education, Prof Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, during a stakeholders’ meeting with proprietors of private schools in Awka over the weekend.
Chuma-Udeh expressed disappointment over the continued operation of unapproved schools despite several warnings and an extended grace period granted by the state.
She revealed that the meeting was convened to understand why many schools were yet to obtain approval.
“There are still many private schools in the state that have yet to be approved. The time given by the governor to shut down such schools has expired. “This meeting is to know the reason for the delay in getting approval. But if by the beginning of the first term, those schools are still unapproved, we will close them down. That is what the law stipulates, and we have given enough grace,” the commissioner said. Chuma-Udeh noted that she had received approval from the governor to extend the grace period and had been restraining the task force from enforcing closures. However, school proprietors continued to stall the approval process. “Even though I took permission from the governor to extend the time and I have been holding back the task force, the owners of the schools are still delaying,” she added. During the meeting, some proprietors raised concerns about individuals impersonating government officials and attempting to extort money from them. In response, the commissioner assured stakeholders that the ministry would investigate the allegations.
It was gathered that the state government has identified no fewer than 2,000 unaccredited private schools operating across the 21 local government areas of the state.
