The Edo State Government has said it will, from August 2023, begin the clampdown on all unregistered and unapproved schools in the State, as part of renewed efforts to sanitise the education system.

This was disclosed by the Acting Director General (DG) of Quality Assurance (QA) of the Ministry of Education, Rosaline Okosun, during a meeting with leaders and private school owners in Edo State.

Noting that the government is stepping up monitoring of schools in the State, Okosun said the move is not to witch hunt anyone but to ensure quality and standard across schools in the State.

She said the Edo State Government has registered 1,716 private schools in the State, including 920 primary and 796 secondary schools.

According to her, “We have more than these numbers of schools in Edo State as others are not yet registered and we are here to work together and ensure all private schools in the State are registered. It's not business as usual as the Edo State Government is concerned about the learners and what they will benefit from the educational system.

“We will work with you, support you and ensure you succeed. Furnish us with the list of all your registered members and those that are not registered, automatically they are not your members. This move is all about improving the lives of our children.

“We want education that will favour our learners who are our priority. Actions will be taken as schools that don't meet the requirements and are sub-standard in terms of quality will be shut down from the month of August and such schools will not be allowed to open come September 2023 if they fail to meet the requirements.”

She continued: “The governor and the Ministry of Education want the best for Edo children as the policy of the State Government says basic education is free and compulsory for nine years. Our standards must improve, and we must stick to the education policies in the State.

“Two unions are present here today for this meeting while one was absent but are invited for another enlarged meeting on Monday 31st of July, 2023 where we expect you to mobilize your members enmasse for this crucial meeting on how to collaborate with you to move the education sector forward".

The State Secretary of the Association for Formidable Development (AFED), Oladele Ogundele, said: “We are ready to collaborate with the Ministry of Education and the Obaseki-led administration for the betterment of the education sector. We want a uniform content, curriculum, and lesson notes across the three Senatorial Districts.”

The Chairman of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) in Oredo, Mr. Kelvin Eboigbe assured the cooperation and support of the private school owners, commending the governor’s reforms in the education sector.