Private Schools May Be Shut Down in Abuja

FCT Permanent Secretary, Adesola Olusade 

By: Wisdom Acka

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has threatened to embark on massive shut down of private schools over non-compliance with laws, guidelines and regulations designed to instill standards and excellence.

The FCT Permanent Secretary, Adesola Olusade made this threat during a stakeholders’ meeting in his office to address low compliance by private schools with the data capture exercise.

According to him, the FCTA will clamp down on any school that failed to comply with ongoing revalidation, registration and data capturing, being handled by the Department of Quality Assurance in the Education Secretariat of the FCT Administration.

The Permanent Secretary expressed displeasure over the slow pace of compliance with the exercise, and vowed that the Administration would not relent on its determination to ensure international best practices in its schools, as well as compromise revenue derivable from the exercise.

Berating the nonchalant attitude of defaulting schools, Adesola regretted that they kept enjoying quality services provided by the Administration in their locations; adding that the exercise was part of requirements for establishing and operating schools in the FCT.

He cautioned schools in the habit of obstructing officials of the FCT Administration from accessing their schools for routine inspection to desist forthwith or face the full wrath of the law.

The Permanent Secretary, therefore, highlighted various stages and procedures involved in the exercise and directed the schools to fully comply with all extant rules and regulations.

He, however, ordered the extension of the revalidation, registration and data capturing exercise to 31st of December 2022 to allow for the successful completion of the exercise.