The Anambra State Government has issued a firm ultimatum to all private schools operating without official approval: obtain proper accreditation by September or face immediate closure.
The directive was delivered by the State Commissioner for Education, Professor Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, during a stakeholders’ meeting with private school proprietors held on Thursday in Awka.
“We Have Given Enough Grace”
Professor Chuma-Udeh expressed deep concern over the continued operations of numerous unapproved private schools despite repeated warnings and a prolonged grace period granted by the state.
“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,” she said.
“This meeting is to understand the reasons for the delay in obtaining approval. But if by the beginning of the first term those schools remain unapproved, we will close them down. That is what the law stipulates, and we have given enough grace.”
Concerns Over Enforcement Delay
The Commissioner noted that although she had secured approval from Governor Chukwuma Soludo to extend the grace period, she had been holding back the enforcement task force—but many proprietors continued to stall.
“Even though I took permission from the governor to extend the time and have been holding back the task force, the owners of the schools are still delaying,” she remarked.
Some school owners present at the meeting voiced concerns over the activities of impostors posing as government officials who allegedly attempted to extort money from them.
In response, Chuma-Udeh assured stakeholders that the Ministry would investigate such incidents and bring perpetrators to justice.
Over 2,000 Unapproved Schools Identified
The Anambra State Government has identified approximately 2,000 unaccredited private schools currently operating across the state’s 21 local government areas.
Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu, described the situation as unacceptable—particularly in light of Governor Soludo’s emphasis on delivering quality education.
“A governor who is himself a first-class academic will not tolerate institutions that do not meet basic standards,” he stated.
Nwosu stressed that any school operating without accreditation is, by implication, not meeting the minimum requirements set by the state Ministry of Education.
Public Awareness and Enforcement Measures
In a move to enhance transparency and ease public access to verified information, the government has ordered the distribution of the list of accredited private schools to local government education departments through their respective Transition Committee Chairmen.
This renewed push follows recent enforcement actions, including the closure of Upcoming Star International School in Awka in August 2024. The school, which was shut down after a bullying incident, was found to be operating without official approval during a subsequent investigation.