NAPPS To Shut Illegal Private Schools

The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), says that schools that do not meet the requirements for establishing them must be closed down.

The chairman of NAPPS, Rivers State Chapter, Mr Godfrey dropped down the warning at a one-day public hearing on Rivers State Education Bill 2013 in Port Harcourt, Wednesday.

Mr Godfrey who frowned at the rate by which schools are established at every nook and crannies of the society saying that those that do not meet the requirement must be closed down.

The NAPPS chairman insisted that before a person is allowed to teach or operate a private school, such a person must have a teaching qualification noting that there is a difference between a teaching qualification and academic qualification.

He said such a person must have gone    through a Teacher Training College, obtained a Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE), Bachelors of Education (BED), and Masters in Education (MED) among others and must have five years experience.

He noted that all teachers must have be registered with TRCN pointing out that the Bill should stipulate that all proprietors of private schools must belong to NAPPS because according to him, it is an umbrella body of all private schools in Nigeria.

According to him, the bill should included that the commissioner for education, can withdraw the approval of such private schools if the proprietor does not belong to NAPPS.

Concerning closure of private schools, he said caution and due process must be followed and not just to be done overnight, to announce that a school is to be closed down.

Eunice Choko-Kayode