Withdraw your children from illegal schools – Director

The Director, Department of Quality Assurance in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Education Secretariat, Mr Didam Ayuba, has advised parents to withdraw their children from 556 illegal schools in the territory.
Ayuba gave the advice in Abuja yesterday at a sensitization forum on plans by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to close down such schools.
The director, who did not give a date for the commencement of the closure, said the department would soon embark on demolition of the schools. He said demolition notices had been served on more than 556 illegal schools in the territory.
He said the decision to demolish such schools was to eradicate the dangers they posed to the academic, emotional and psychological development of the pupils. According to him, the schools lack basic or standard facilities for the academic growth of the pupils.
Ayuba, therefore, advised parents to enrol their children in schools run by the Local Education Authority (LEA) recognised by FCTA.
“It is not by adding private to the name of a school that makes it a good school, parents should send their children to LEA schools where they are qualified teachers and facilities,’’ he said. Some of the schools visited are located in murky areas with some of them built in flood-prone areas. Some of the affected schools visited are Raphil Nursery and Primary School Kado Life Camp with about 25 to 30 pupils cramped into a poorly ventilated classroom.
Other schools visited in the Life Camp area are Destiny Nursery and Primary School located at Ireke Junction and Fountain of Peace School where primary one to five pupils were put into one classroom. Some schools in Lugbe on the airport road serve as both school and church. One of such schools is the Signs and Wonders Academy located in Tudun Wada Lugbe. A portion of the church auditorium has been segmented into primary one and two. The Winners Secondary School and the Goodness Nursery and Primary Academy in Tudun Wada are both located on a flood plane. (NAN)