The Zamfara State government has revealed that 500 operational licensed private schools in the state have been revoked, saying the decision was taken to sanitize the educational system in the state.
The State Commissioner of Education, Dr. Ibrahim Abdullahi, made this disclosure during an interview session with newsmen in Gusau, the state capital.
Abdullahi explained that comprehensive procedures would be set for any private school that needed to be re-issued with a new operational license to fulfill before it can be reconsidered.
“When the administration of Bello Mohammed Matawalle took over the reign of power in the state, he realized that the government had almost lost control of the supervision of the operation of these private schools as there was no control mechanism set up by the state ministry of education which empowers the government to monitor its operations,” the commissioner said
The Commissioner, berated the system, where private schools owners are only required to pay a paltry sum of N30,000, for the issuance of an operational license, adding that it is unacceptable, especially when the government is not benefitting vicariously from it, even as the private school operators extort huge amount of money from parents and guardians.
He further hinted that his ministry had already come up with a draft bill which will any moment be sent to the state of Assembly for passage, after which he said the law will empower the state ministry of education to have total control of what private schools are doing in the state.
It would be recalled that the Abia State Government on February 8, 2016, revoked all approvals it previously granted to operators of private schools in the state and set new criteria for re-registering such schools.
The Government explained that henceforth, private schools would be classified into three categories of A, B, and C, depending on available infrastructure and quality of personnel in the school.
