Anambra State House of Assembly moves to close down illegal Private Schools

By Okechukwu Onuegbu

In a bid to supplement Governor Peter Obi's effort to transform Anambra state education sector, the state Legislative Arms of Government has called on the Anambra state ministry of education to shutdown what it termed “all the illegal schools operating in the state without further delay”.

The state House of Assembly made the resolutions at the heels of the motion brought to the Hallow Chamber by a member representing Nnewi South 1 constituency, Hon Kingsley Iruba and seconded by Hon. Vivian Okadigbo of Oyi state constituency.

Explaining the motion, Hon. Iruba who bemoaned proliferation of nursery, primary and secondary schools as well as examination centers functioning in Anambra state under dilapidated structures and substandard facilities and without obtaining the requisite approval from the state ministry of education which according to him, amount to illegality, said they were only interested on profit maximization rather to improve the lives of its wards.

He pointed-out that these institutions of learning are populated with unqualified teachers, thereby contributing to rot in education sector, even as he averred that these had grossly dwindled the population of pupils and students in the public schools as illegal ones are now over-populated with wards lured-in with advertorials and signposts despite exorbitant tuition fees.

While noting that these schools constitute nuisance in the state, the Lawmaker decried that they were engine blocks to the poor quality of learning and standard of education in the state as most of its victims who could neither read nor write mostly end-up graduating from tertiary institutions half-baked and non-employable, as well as aid in increasing the numbers of “special or miracle centers”.

In their separate contributions, members representing Onitsha 1, Hon. Chugbo Enwezor, Hon. Beverly Ikpeazu of Onitsha 2, Gabriel Onyewife of Ayamelum and Hon. Valentine Ayika of Njikoka 1 constituencies called on Anambra state ministry of education to embark on thorough supervision of all the institution of learning scattered at the nooks and crannies of the state with a view to either certify or close-down the structures which has no adequate human and material resources without soliciting for gratification from the proprietors.

Upholding the motion after its unanimous adoption, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Princess Chinwe Nwaebili charged the Anambra sate Commissioner for Education, Dr. Uju Okeke to endeavour to inspect schools personally or through her officers always so as to rid the state of the illegal activities.