By Stephen Adeleye.
The Kogi State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, has urged proprietors of private schools in the state to strictly adhere to rules and policies for educational standards.
Osikoya made the call at a stakeholders meeting with members of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) from all the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.
Osikoya said the ministry observed that compliance with education standard by private schools had been a major gap, in terms of licence renewal, policies and other related issues.
She stressed the need for proprietors to know the ‘thoughts and the moves’ of government, adding that the ministry was on the verge of ensuring enforcement across all the educational sector of the state.
“So far, government has allowed for a lot of time about 19 months, we have had conversations on structure and the minimum standards that should be kept by all schools in Kogi.
“Before we start enforcement of shutting down schools, we will engage and communicate extensively with stakeholders and to see that everybody understands their roles and obligations.
“We have also conducted trainings and sensitisation on the provisions of the law and what minimum standards are expected to be put in place.
“We have given them ample time to address those possible challenges, now that we are all together as partners, we can now go out there and sanitise.
“This is not considered with a view of wanting to punish anybody but it is the goal of repositioning the education sector as it should have been in Kogi.
“We are now more informed, we now have more policy documents on ground and well guided,” Osikoya said.
She further said that a State Committee on Enforcement would be set up in collaborations with the relevant agencies, and that enforcement would start before the beginning of the next academic session in September 2019.
“Between now and the new academic session in September, there should be a lot of changes in Kogi education sector.
“So, I am happy that we have been able to make such significant progress,” Osikoya said.
Some of the proprietors who spoke at the meetings commended the commissioner for the reformational development she has brought to the education sector.
Mr Alex Adah, the NAPPS State’s Chairman, commended the commissioner for organising the meeting, saying they had long been waiting for such a day to express themselves.
Adah assured the commissioner of their commitment to meet the minimum standard for schools operations, while expressing their support for government’s intention to shut down illegal and substandard schools in the state.
“We are assuring state government that our products will continue to make Kogi proud both nationally and internationally,” Adah said.
