State government to shut down 10,000 schools

September 20, 2016 8:52 PM

Dr Idiat Adebule has revealed that over 10,000 schools running illegally in the state will be shut down at the beginning of the next session.

Lagos State deputy governor, Idiat Adebule

The Lagos State Government has said that it will shut down more than 10,000 schools operating illegally in the state beginning from the next academic session.

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The Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, said this during the school census programme for private schools at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, Lagos.

Adebule disclosed that operators of the schools representing over two-thirds of privately-owned schools in the state have refused to register their schools even after the registration procedure was made less complicated by the ministry of education.

Speaking on the theme, “Entrenching Best Practices”, Adebule noted that the state government would intensify its efforts in providing quality education and learning environment for pupils in the state.

Presenting approval letters for 119 schools to their proprietors during the event, Adebule said,

“In essence, about two-third of private schools are operating illegally in the state. About 15,000 private schools are operating in the state and only 4,556 are approved and registered.

“No nation or society can develop better than its quality of human capital. Part of the tools required to perform our task as a regulator is accurate and precise data which the proposed school census was intended to provide for the education sector.’’

Speaking during the event, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr Adesina Odeyemi, in his address, warned proprietors to be wary of people who pretended to be officials of the ministry.

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Odeyemi also advised them to pay all necessary levies which accrue to the state government into the appropriate pockets, adding that there are no officials authorised to collect levies on behalf of the state government.