The Akwa Ibom State Government has ordered the immediate closure of all illegal and unregistered schools operating across the state’s 31 local government areas.
The Commissioner for Education, Professor Ubong Essien Umoh, issued the directive as part of efforts to clean up the basic education system. He expressed concern over the rising number of illegal schools, saying they lower the quality and credibility of education in the state.
According to him, many of these schools fail to meet the required standards but continue to operate, which contradicts the education reform plans of Governor Umo Eno’s administration under the ARISE Agenda. To enforce the directive, a task force led by Mrs. Esther Ekotumoh, Director of Quality Assurance Services in the Ministry of Education, has begun shutting down such schools. One of the first affected was Gospel Elementary School (GES) in Ikot Osukpong, Ibiono Ibom LGA.
“This action is in line with the ARISE Agenda that says every child deserves a quality education in a safe and well-equipped learning environment,” Ekotumoh stated. She stated that the closed school was found to be operating without government approval and had been warned and sealed off earlier, but continued to operate illegally. The school, she noted, was using a village town hall with no proper learning facilities or an official permit to operate.
The Ministry of Education is now advising parents to withdraw their children from any unapproved schools and enrol them in licensed institutions. This, they say, will protect the children’s future and help them get the quality education they deserve. The government also warned school owners and task force members against compromising the enforcement effort, stating that the state remains fully committed to raising education standards.
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