The Anambra State government has issued a final warning to all private schools operating without official approval: get authorized by September or face closure.
During a recent meeting with school proprietors in Awka, the state’s Commissioner for Education, Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, made it clear that the government would no longer tolerate delays in compliance. According to her, the grace period granted by the state has long expired, and any school that remains unapproved by the start of the next academic term will be shut down.
“There are still many private schools in the state that have yet to be approved. The time given by the governor to shut down such schools has expired.
“Even though I took permission from the governor to extend the time and has been holding back the task force, the owners of the schools are still delaying.
“This meeting is to know the reason for the delay in getting approval. But if by the beginning of the first term, those schools are yet to be approved, we will close them down; that is what the law stipulates, and we have given enough grace,” she said.
At the meeting, some school owners raised concerns about individuals posing as government officials who reportedly tried to extort money from them. In response, the Commissioner assured them that the ministry would investigate the matter and take the necessary actions.
The message from the state is loud and clear: only properly authorized schools will be allowed to operate going forward. School owners are now urged to complete all regulatory processes before the deadline.
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