Decay, Sharp Practices In Private Schools —Ernie Okeke

Any decision to shut down 12,000 so-called illegal schools recently ‘discovered’ by the Lagos state government will most certainly jeopardise the future of their 1 million pupils. To reach such a decision goes beyond the ridicule that followed this discovery and whilst the state authorities are still blushing in embarrassment, one could proffer some suggestions; our education system at the national is in a deplorable state, particularly private primary and secondary schools.

No other state in this country boasts of a larger concentration of such private schools than Lagos state and this comes with great anguish to parents whose children’s future is threatened by the system’s attendant decay.

Commercialism and bottom-line are forces driving the motivation of most private school owners. This sector is flooded with entrepreauneurs who have little or no motivation, as expected of educators, except to advance their business interests to the detriment of our children.

Against these backdrop therefore, I wish to bring to the attention of our education policy makers in both the state and federal levels these pertinent developments:

•Nigeria urgently has to curb the sharp practices by owners of independent secondary schools with boarding facilities.It is therefore necessary to recommend as follows;

a. There should be regulatory inspections on boarding facilities provided in schools with emphasis on them attaining required health and safety standards in the areas of health & safety; adequate and drinkable water, hostel ventilation, secure protection against mosquitoes and harmful environment; provision of hygenic and safe cooking area; washrooms and toilet facilities built to stardard requirments; stand-by medical access 24/7; provision of power supply within reasonable limits per night; rubbish removal facility approved by local council; fire safety equipment and routine drills approved by local councils.

b. Parent Teachers Associations are to ensure that these standard requirments have been met by their schools and same forwarded to the state departments of education for final approval each year of new intakes to the schools.

c. State approvals are to be published by schools and displayed publicly on the school notice boards for all interested parties to see. The state approval must also be presented as soon as requested by any parent or interested party.

d. All interested parents are to be allowed access in to boarding areas at a scheduled time for purposes of viewing firsthand such facilities as has been provided by each school before admission of wards.

•Henceforth, I recommend all schools be mandated to publish all fees alongside the sale of application forms. My research revealed that school managements are reluctant to make available to parents of new wards, an eloborate explanation on their shcool fee.

It is both sad as it is fraudulent for any school management to refuse availing parents of school fees figures whilst making application forms available for sale. In the light of the foregoing, I recommend:

a. Information as to any decision reached by a previous PTA meeting should be disclosed to new parents prior to any admission letters being signed for the intake of their ward/wards

b. Parents must be notified of any levy only after it has been deliberated upon by the PTA and such a levy can only take effect in the succeeding session.

•Many parents in Lagos state are bewildered at the constant change in the content of textbooks whilst the national curricula had remained unchanged. It is a great puzzle to all concerned why at the end of every 9 months of a school term, texbooks become suddenly obselete and parents are forced to purchase new books.

It is a wonder, as it is of pertinent concern, why currently we allow a system that makes it imposible for parents to project their meagre resources and pass down books used by a sibling when all are under the same school system.

I, alongside most parents, do not believe in the necessity to make changes in the textbooks within nine months and therefore view it as both a conspiracy and deliberate ploy between publishers and owners of private schools to make money out of parents by exploiting the inherent loopholes within the school system.

I recommend most urgently, to both state and federal authorities in education as follows;

•Immediately institute an inquiry to the constant changes made by publishers of textbooks within our school curriculum.

•An educational books publishers regulatory body to monitor the activities of the sector as it relates to educational books particularly with quality and rationale behind changes being made yearly on educational books.

All authorities responsible for ensuring effectiveness in our educational system, especially in the primary and secondary school levels, view in serious light these concerns. It is important to address them with the utmost urgency they truly deserve if we are to uncover the shroud of secrecy in the operations of many private school owners and save our children from suffering silently.

•Okeke is Presenter/Creator, Buyer Beware TV Show.