Hard time awaits illegal/substandard schools in Benue
… As WAEC blacklisted over 30 Schools for examination malpractices
By Titus Atondu, Makurdi
Following the high increase of establishment of over One Thousand illegal/Substandard Schools in the State by private individuals, Benue State Commissioner for Education Professor Dennis Ityavyar has vowed that the Ministry of education under his watch will ensure enforcement of the closure of these Substandard Schools in the State.
Prof. Ityavyar also revealed that the West Africa Examination Council( WAEC) this have blacklisted over Thirty Secondary Schools in the State for their continued involvement in examination malpractices while writing WAEC examination.
Ityavyar disclosed this in his office on Friday while fielding questions from Journalists on some of the issues impeding educational development in the State.
The Commissioner explained that illegal Schools are Schools without approval from the State Ministry of education, lack legal backing, operate without qualified teachers, standard class rooms and everything about the Schools are substandard.
He further explained that these Substandard Schools otherwise known as Miracle Centers are substantially owned by private individuals and notoriously constitute the menace of examination malpractices yearly.
Professor Ityavyar stated that despite the numerous efforts by the State government through the ministry to make the educational sector strong and sound inline with the standards obtainable else where in the country, the activities of these Substandard Schools tries to over shadow the efforts and assured that the Ministry will use the security agencies to enforce the closure of such Substandard Schools.
Prof. Ityavyar also revealed that the State has a total of One Thousand,One Hundred Sixty(1,160) approved Secondary Schools while Sixty Six (66) of the Schools are boarding schools.
On the issue of Schools security in the State, the Commissioner explained that in order to avoid the bad experience witnessed by Niger, Zamfara, Yobe , Borno and Katsina States, Benue State government is proactive by sensitizing Provosts, Reactors of tertiary institutions, Principals ,head Teachers, Teachers and students on the dangers of School children abduction and the need to be alert at all times and have emergency strategy of communication to resist it.
According to him, mobilization of local government Council Chairmen, Traditional rulers and Vigilante who are community gatekeepers to sensitize their communities and have emergency strategy of communication to avert the temptation of students abduction in the State.
” Let us prove to the adductors that in Benue State you can not come and park boarding students and go free” The Commissioner added.
Prof. Ityavyar stated that the impact of the dreaded disease otherwise known as COVID-19 was not limited to Benue State or Nigeria but the entire World which led to the closure of tertiary institutions for 10 months and Secondary schools for 4 months
Another challenge faced by Benue State educational sector as impact of COVID 19 , Nigerian Schools with Benue inclusive were forced to reopen during the pandemic to participate in the West Africa Examination Council ( WAEC) examination because the examination was to be written by all the West African countries.
The Commissioner enumerated some of the challenges faced by the State educational sector as a result of COVID -19 to include; the plight of teachers in the private schools, a lot of burden on the space available in Schools, provision of COVID-19 preventive materials such as facemask, hand sanitizers, thermometers among others.
The Commissioner stated that he was encouraged because no single student or teacher was tested positive to the virus when virus test was conducted during and after reopening of Schools around the State.
