The proprietress of El-olam Global Academy, Ozodo, Ogbogoro,Port Harcourt, Pastor Zudonu Ovievai has commended the Rivers State Government for its efforts to improve the standard of education as it sets in motion machinery to inspect and monitor the standards and activities of schools across the state.
Pastor Ovievai who made the commendation recently in her office, in Port Harcourt, lauded the State Government for setting up a committee to check standards of schools, especially privately owned.
She, however, expressed fear that those saddled with the responsibility of certification of schools may have politicised the process, saying “some private school authorities who know government officials or members of committee get express accreditation, whereas those who do not have such connection, even when they meet all the requirements for approval, find it difficult to be certified.” She therefore advised that the right things should be done by the relevant government authorities.
On the issue of parents’ preference for the private schools to government schools, Pastor Ovievai contended that the private schools monitor their staff, students and activities better than the government schools, insisting: “ students from private schools become brighter compared to their counterparts in public schools due to extra efforts put by the private schools authorities”.
She further stated that her school has met the criteria for approval by the government, noting that the school has been approved severally in the past: “currently it is a WAEC centre”, she said, insisting that her school is up to date in personnel management, as well as facilities/equipment upgrading.
Welcoming the free education policy of the state government, the proprietress further advised government to strengthen efforts in provision of learning facilities, staff and monitoring in the public schools to favourably compete with the private schools. While stating that parents and guardians should not judge educational standard/quality by fees, she called on parents to look beyond fees.
“Most parents believe that the standard of a school is high when fees are high, and when fees are low the standard is low. This is not so. Parents should go for the best for their wards”, she said.
Pastor Ovievai urged the government to regulate fees for private schools in such a manner that it would be commensurate with what the schools give out to their students. She also noted the need for such fees to be kept at an affordable level for parents, while also expressing dismay over the proliferation of schools for the sole intent of profit making, describing such act as dishonesty.
Asked if the government’s free education and clampdown on substandard schools would affect admission of new students in her school ahead of the resumption, she said she would not know that until the schools fully resums but she expressed confidence that her schools (nursery, primary and secondary) would not be affected negatively.

Tamunoiminabo Fyneface