The Kogi State Ministry of Education Science, and Technology uses this medium to identify with all stakeholders in the education sector for their various concerns and reactions to the closing down of the Abundant Life Academy by the Ministry on Wednesday.
The Ministry is elated with the genuine concerns raised and we adjudge that the reactions arose from the genuine love and concern our people have towards education and the progress of the entire system.
Infact, the management of the Ministry would have been worried if the people of the state were indifferent to the issue of closure of schools. The reactions show that we all share deep concerns about making the best out of the prevailing conditions to give the best to our upcoming generation.
We however want to set the records straight, that the ministry has a mandate to regulate the activities of both private and public schools in the state. There is a new Education Law of 2020 to regulate the activities of all our schools and by it, all private schools should be captured and registered for proper monitoring.
For schools that identify with us, we have registered and have been working with them to better the lots of our students. We have made tremendous progress that are in the records to show in this regard.
However, to our dismay some of the proprietors have refused to present their schools for capturing and have failed to register with the ministry despite all appeals. For example, the Abundant Life Academy located along Agbaja Road in Felele operates some of their classrooms in shanties. They have mere erected planks with porous walls as classrooms which are very dangerous for children to stay.
The school in question did not show up for capturing and even when we went there and met the school in very bad state, they refused to accept our letter so that we can dialogue on the way forward.
We want to state categorically here that the ministry will not relent in this exercise of getting all our schools captured. We want to implore those that have not come to us to do so now because we will still go back to them. We desire that every child benefits from government incentives in the present dispensation.
The issue of welfare of teachers, students and general educational development is so paramount to the Yahaya Bello-led administration that the governor has magnanimously increased education allocation from 20% to 30% to enable the ministry do more for better results. We want to do more for our students.
The government is already doing the best within available resources to provide the best services in our public schools, and the results we are getting are very encouraging.
We therefore call for calm from all parents and education lovers in the state. We implore you to please encourage school proprietors who have not complied to come forward and be enlisted with us so that they can give more qualitative education to the pupils.
Signed:
Pastor Emmanuel Idenyi (Permanent Secretary)
For:
Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
