Education
Private Schools C’ttee, Not For Witch-Hunt -Chairman …Set To Visit 1,629 Schools
The Chairman of Rivers State Committee on Revalidation and Monitoring of privately owned Schools in Rivers State Prof Ozo Mercury Ndimele says the committee is not established to witch hunt anybody but to help improve on the existing standard in the running of the private schools in line with the state government educational policies.
Ndimele also disclosed that the committee was not planning to close down any private schools in the state as being speculated in many quarters, rather the committee,he said would work with the private school owners to ensure that qualitative education and conducive learning environment are attained.
He stated this while addressing proprietors and school managers of privately owned primary and secondary schools in the state at a stakeholders meeting at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in Port Harcourt, last Friday.
He told them that the committee was a mere fact finding one that would make recommendations to the state government during the one month assignment.
“We shall do our work with human face. All you need to do is to cooperate with the committee to ensure the success of our assignment
“Our assignment is a serious one. We want to find out where our children are being trained and see if they conform with the standard,” he added.
Prof Ndimele who is the Vice Chancellor of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education as well as the coordinating chairman of the committee for Rivers East senatorial district announced that the committee would begin visitation to 1,629 schools that are registered with the office of the Secretary to State Government from this week and warned them against any form of inducements.
“Let me warn, let nobody try to bribe or induce any member of the committee because the state government has adequately funded us. If you do your school will be blacklisted,” he added.
Also speaking, Prof Okey Onuchukwu, who serves as the coordinating chairman for Rivers South East averred that the committee would visit the schools to ascertain whether the minimum standards were being complied with, adding that the committee was an independent body not attached to Schools Board or UBE.
In his own speech, the coordinating chairman for Rivers West, Prof Philip Odari commended the private school owners in the state for their various contributions to the development of the state, adding that the mission of the committee would be on how to improve what they already have and not to destroy them.
Some of the private school owners, Elder Gospel Awara-jaja, Elder Abbey Caleb Osaroigwe and Dr Dennis Woruka who spoke at the event appealed to the state government to revalidate their registration rather than cancellation, noting that some of the private schools have existed for over 30years.
They also appealed to the committee to consider the new schools as well as to categorize the schools in their assignment.
The River State Commissioner for Education, Dr Peters Nwagor has called on media practitioners in Rivers State to deploy their various communication platforms toward promoting government programmes and policies aimed at achieving sustainable development in the education sector. Dr. Nwagor made the appeal when members of the Etche Ethnic Practicing Journalists (EEPJ) paid him a courtesy visit in Office in Port Harcourt. The Commissioner emphasized the strategic role of the media in shaping public perception, promoting government initiatives, and supporting policies capable of improving the quality of education and human capital development in the state. According to him, constructive media engagement remains essential in creating public awareness on educational reforms, students’ welfare, infrastructural improvements, and other interventions being implemented by the state government. Speaking on the recent appro
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