Ebonyi Ministry of Education
… Says We Cannot Accept Waterproof Houses for Schools
Ebonyi State Ministry of Education has revealed Government’s preparedness to close down every illegal school operating in the State.
The State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Paul Awo Nwobasi dropped the hint in his office Ministry of Education Ochudo Centenary City Abakaliki during an interactive meeting with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Faith Based School Proprietors, Chairman National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) and other education stakeholders in the state.
Addressing the forum, the Hon. Commissioner, Prof. Paul Awo Nwobasi said that what is happening in Ebonyi basic and secondary education system is giving the state a bad name, but now is the time to clampdown on those unapproved schools, mushroom schools, waterproof schools, palm fronds schools and under mango tree schools, pointing out that every Pastor and Rev. Frs. wants to have a school, converting church auditoriums, a place meant for worshipping God to a school.
Prof. Nwobasi said that environment matters in the teaching and learning process, enjoining parents to stop exposing their wards to such an environment that is not conducive to learning because an unhealthy environment destroys a child psych and talents difficult to harness if restricted to one room.
He explained that for anybody to establish a standard school, he or she should invite the Ministry’s Quality Assurance Department for site inspection and the site will not be less than 3 plots (1,365sq m) in the urban and 5 plots (2,275 Sq m) in the rural area. He added that a standard school should have fields for sporting activities, agricultural practices, debate, and other necessary social activities to take place.
He clarified the issue of waiver, affiliation, BECE Examination Certificate, Annual School Census and school curriculum, etc.
His words “Proliferation of schools in the state especially as it concerns churches is giving the ministry a serious worry, parents should please withdraw their wards from such mushroom schools, environment matters, stop exposing pupils to a waterproof classroom, palm fronds classroom, under the tree classroom, you are destroying the child’s psyche.
“product is not what we need but process, we have a standard, after Government must approve your site go and build there, after two years for establishment if the ministry is satisfied with what you have you put in your students and after five years you come for accreditation. The talents of the pupils will not be harnessed if they are restricted to one classroom,
“let me tell you, a standard school should have a field for sporting activities, social activities such as debate, agricultural practices, school gardens and farms. We have so many vocations that God gave to various people. We must get it right this time, The Quality Assurance Department from the Ministry of Education will come and see your site and that site will not be less than three plots in the urban, any site that is less than five plots in rural area will not accept it. We must be on the move to help advocate for His Excellency’s People’s Charter of Needs mantra in the education sector. It is not right for pupils in elementary 1 this year 2024, next year 2025 you come and tell the ministry that they now taking the elementary six certificate examination. It is totally wrong
“some school proprietors who have refused to obey instructions as it concerns Ebonyi State school calendar and curriculum,. People should stop importing curricula from USA, China, and England, whereas they are in Nigeria. Henceforth, the curriculum from the Federal Ministry of Education should be maintained in Ebonyi State. Parents have complained bitterly about textbooks that contain both textbooks and workbooks. Textbooks and workbooks should not be in one textbook but be in different copies. He also talked about school examinations, he said
“let me now seize this opportunity to inform all the proprietors that the Basic Education Certificate Examination is now a standard not a First School Leaving Certificate. So every school is expected to register pupils for the examination certificate BECE. Early grade reading is paramount in primary schools, especially P 1 and 2, as it concerns the National Reading Framework. It must be vigorously pursued in our schools. Reading and writing are now in our timetable. Also,
“Annual School Census is very important because if we don’t get a census of our students, teachers, infrastructure and other things, we will find it difficult to cope with our schools’ data as to be presented to the Federal Ministry of Education and other concerned sectors, international donors may find it difficult to help us if we cannot give accurate data of what we have in our schools
“We are not trying to witch-hunt anybody but to get things the way they ought to be so that we can benefit from our efforts”
The Hon Commissioner said that his Ministry is going to constitute a formidable committee that will not compromise anything to right all the wrongs in Ebonyi State School System, stating that the Executive Governor of the State, His Excellency Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru has meant well for the people of the state and must be supported to succeed in his good administration.
Sharing his experiences in the field during school monitoring, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Secondary Education, Hon. Peter Nwogbaga said that the school monitoring team has been meeting unhealthy situations in the field from one LGA to another, stating that Pastors shared their church auditorium to have many classrooms even without any demarcation.
Hon. Nwogbaga opined that school is not only where one can study and get a PhD but an institution where talents are developed, adding that the proprietors of such schools are denying children in the school the opportunity to tap their talents at the rightful stage of life.
Hon. Nwogbaga expressed worry, pointing out that if nothing is done to curb the menace, many Ebonyi children will not get the desired education they have gone for.
Also speaking in the meeting, the Secretary Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board (EBSUBEB) Dr. Livinus Ezeuwa said that the proliferation of schools in Ebonyi State is not desired, it is good where there is healthy competition and where rules are followed, noting that education is a business enterprise that has rules if followed will have positive results.
Dr. Ezeuwa categorically stated that the government wants adjustment of illegal schools otherwise sledgehammer will tell the people what Government is all about. Is it still a government? He said that core educationists lament when they see the way schools are being operated in Ebonyi state, recalling the olden days, 1850 when the Anglican Church arrived in Igbo land, for instance, and the Catholic Church came around 1885, things were not the way they are now, people are now more concerned about the material things they get than the spiritual aspect of it.
Dr. Ezeuwa reiterated that it is very unfortunate that the people who are praising the Governor for having a passion for education are not behaving as if they want the Governor to succeed, many have dropped their Bible to chase another thing that is not the reason they were called.
Dr. Ezeuwa described the appointment of Prof. Paul Awo Nwobasi to revamp the primary and secondary education system in the state as a square peg in a square hole, saying that it will be painful if the stakeholders in education fold their hands and fail in an assignment they know how to do very well because they don’t want people to think they offended them.
“We must rise to do our work very well so that everybody will benefit from it. After this meeting, the government may close many schools, let nobody blame Government for doing that, we must right the wrong, we must put things straight, we cannot accept Getto homes for schools.
“Pastors use their religious charisma to evacuate all the students and pupils in the public schools for their own because we respect pastors and bishops. We have to sound real, otherwise we will be deceiving ourselves and rubbish the aim of our veritable Governor in the field of education which is number 1 in his People’s Charter of Needs ” He stated.
Airing his view in the meeting, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Ebonyi State Chapter Dr. Nwokolo said that the meeting is aimed at fostering more concrete ways of administering education to people in this part of the world.
Dr. Nwokolo thanked the government for having the burden of Ebonyi people at heart and sharing the same vision of the church, describing the Governor as a very serious advocate of knowing it well.
The CAN Chairman said the proliferation of schools depends on the area people look at it, the church believes the more you have people is the more you win souls to Christ, Ebonyi state will be more enlightened when schools are not far from people but that will not make the system fall below standard. He enjoined school proprietors to equally give credence to the mainstream of the outlined agenda of the government of the state.
Dr. Nwokolo appealed to the government to strengthen school monitoring activities rather than closing schools that people have built. He appreciated the Government’s plan to have one curriculum that will guide all the existing schools in the state because some curricula used in some private schools are misleading. He warned school operators who are not grounded in education to give way.
The CAN body also advocated that Government should constitute a joint committee involving the Ecumenical body, NAPPS, and the Ministry that will be chaired by the Hon. Commissioner.
Also contributing to the meeting, the Chairman National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) Ebonyi State Chapter Mr. Felix Nome appreciated the present administration’s proactiviness to ensure that standard is returned in Ebonyi education industry.
Mr. Nome emphasized that faith-based counterparts are responsible for the uncontrolled proliferation of schools in the State, adding that NAPPS has a body that controls their activities. He explained that NAPPS is a pressure group that unites all private schools in Nigeria.
© Charles Nwankwo
