Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has directed officials to pay visits and assess the quality of all private primary and secondary schools in Borno State with a view to identifying quack schools that exploit parents and guardians without the capacity to impact knowledge on students. Zulum gave that directive in response to the recommendation of a keynote speaker, Alhaji Mohammed Adam, at the commissioning of Ansar Academy on Monday in Maiduguri.
Adam had called the government’s attention to the existence of quack private schools operating in the state. “I have keenly listened to the keynote address by my brother, Mohammed Adam, and I was attracted to some issues he raised, one of which is a reminder that our responsibility to monitor the quality of private schools, not just public schools.
In that regard, I have directed the secretary to the state government to notify the State Universal Basic Education Board Chairman, Dr Shettima Kullima to deploy officials to examine the capacity of all private schools.
The Board is given six months within which their officials will visit all schools to examine physical infrastructures, quality and availability of teachers, and other relevant records. The board will make recommendations to the government of Borno State.”
“We will do our best to ensure the improvement of standards but where necessary, quack schools that are beyond upgrade shall be closed. While we are making modest efforts in uplifting the standard of education in our public schools, we shall also be very mindful of the operations of private schools in the state. It is our responsibility to ensure the quality of education in the state” Zulum said.
After those remarks, Governor Zulum commissioned Ansar Academy, a newly established private primary and secondary school in Maiduguri. The governor also commissioned Al-Ansar Radio station also in Maiduguri. Both the school and radio were established by Al-Ansar foundation, a non-profit organization founded by a retired federal permanent secretary, Dr. Muhammad Kyari Dikwa.
Dikwa who is President of the foundation applauded Governor Zulum’s style of governance which he said, encouraged him to mobilize resources in contributing to Borno’s educational development.
“Given the unprecedented achievements recorded under His Excellency’s leadership in the last one and a half year, we considered it our task to mobilize friends, well-wishers as well as investors to come over to Borno and invest for the betterment of our society. Your Excellency, you have done well, you have made us proud, we the indigenes of Borno State are proud of you, may Almighty Allah continue to shower his blessings, guide and protect you as you stir the affairs of the state” Dr Dikwa said.
