The Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Education has launched a decisive clampdown on private schools operating without official approval, as part of ongoing efforts to standardize educational delivery and safeguard the welfare of the state’s children.
The Commissioner for Education, Ubong Essien Umoh, disclosed the enforcement exercise on his official LinkedIn page, underlining the ministry’s commitment to upholding approved standards and protecting students.
Leading the operation, Commissioner Umoh headed a team of senior officials, including the Permanent Secretary, Directors, Zonal Directors, the Special Assistant on Education Monitoring, and Local Government Supervisors of Education.
During the inspection, Commissioner Umoh condemned the unauthorized operation of schools without the Ministry’s Authority to Operate (ATO). He decried the rising trend of proprietors converting makeshift structures, abandoned buildings, uncompleted houses, town halls, and residential apartments into learning centres.
“This practice is deeply troubling,” the Commissioner said, drawing attention to cases where schools licensed solely for nursery education have unlawfully expanded to include primary and secondary sections without approval.
The team’s inspection uncovered alarming conditions in some schools, such as overcrowded classrooms with multiple classes sharing a single blackboard, rooms built over septic tanks, and cramped classrooms partitioned into several cubicles with inadequate sanitary facilities.
Commissioner Umoh urged proprietors of private nursery, primary, and secondary schools operating without proper registration to immediately regularize their operations by securing the necessary documentation from the Ministry of Education.
He also warned parents and guardians across urban and rural communities against enrolling their children in unregistered or unlicensed schools.
“As we begin this new academic year, the Ministry will intensify enforcement across the state to identify and close all unauthorized schools to protect the quality of education and the safety of our children,” he said.
Among the schools closed during the exercise were Gracious Steps Royal Academy, Toppers Academy, Houston International Schools, Purple Hills Schools, Sparkling Height Schools, Beloved Child of God International School, Glorious Future Academy, Spring Success International School, and Marcus Garvey Drillers Foundation Schools, all located in Uyo and Nsit Ibom Local Government Areas.
The Ministry’s renewed vigilance signals a firm commitment to ensuring that every child in Akwa Ibom State learns in a safe and regulated environment.
