The Cross River state government has shut down 36 unapproved primary and secondary schools operating without proper registration or official approval across three Local Government Areas (LGA) of the state.
The state commissioner for education, Stephen Odey, who confirmed the development on Tuesday October 21, in Calabar, the state capital, described the situation as unfortunate, noting that some individuals continue to exploit unsuspecting parents by running unauthorised schools.
He explained that the closures were executed by the state task force on illegal schools, which was inaugurated earlier this month and warned that the ministry would no longer tolerate any unauthorised or mushroom operations in the state’s education sector.
Odey said, “We have begun full scale enforcement across the three educational zones in Calabar, Ikom, and Ogoja to sanitise the system and ensure that only schools meeting the required standards are allowed to operate.”
The ministry’s publication listed 16 affected schools in Calabar, 10 in Ikom, and another 10 in Ogoja, all found to be running without government approval.
Reaffirming governor Bassey Otu’s commitment to quality education, Odey stressed that only duly registered and accredited schools would be permitted to function.
He further advised parents and guardians to verify the approval status of schools before enrolling their children, warning that the enforcement exercise would be extended to all 18 local government areas in the state.
“This exercise will continue until every illegal school is either regularised or shut down. We are determined to protect the integrity of education in Cross River state,” Odey stated.
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