By Abdulkareem Haruna

The Borno State Government is considering shutting down about 300 private schools that fail to comply with the revised 2022 standard guidelines for operating private schools.

The Commissioner of Education, Engineer Lawan Wakilbe, revealed this in a recent interview, citing rampant proliferation and unwholesome activities in some private schools as the reasons for the government’s tough stance.

“In 2019, the government set up a high-power committee to look into the issues of private schools,” Wakilbe said. “The committee’s report revealed that the state lacked consolidated guidelines for private school operations, leading to the revision of the guidelines to the 2022 standard.”

The Commissioner explained that the revised guidelines were introduced to streamline the operations of private schools and ensure they meet the required standards. The guidelines stipulate that all private schools must submit forms for accreditation and apparition by a specified deadline. An inspection team, comprising members from various government bodies, will then inspect the schools.

“By 31st January, less than 100 schools complied. So, we extended it by three months,” Wakilbe said. “When I checked the record in almost six months, only 266 schools complied. According to the statistics of the private school committee, there are about 600 private schools. If only 266 are in government record, that is a concern.”

The Commissioner has sought clarification from the state executive council to commence the closure of non-compliant schools, which are operating illegally. The Ministry of Education has invited all proprietors for a meeting to discuss the closure modalities and potential prosecution of offenders.

“We have already sent letters which have invited all proprietors for a meeting with the ministry,” Wakilbe said.

“We are going to tell them we are going to give them notice to close by this order because some of them have already admitted students. So, we will allow those parents to look for other schools before December.”

The Commissioner also addressed concerns about the curriculum, fee structure, and entrance exams of private schools. He stated that all schools must follow the curriculum set by the National Educational Research And Development Council. Schools also have the option to follow the integrated curriculum developed by the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Institute.

The Borno State Government’s tougher measures aim to ensure that all private schools meet the required standards, thereby improving the quality of education in the state.