The commissioner for education in Akwa Ibom State, Prof Nse Essien has said private schools in the state that reopen for the 3rd term 2019/2020 school year either in schools environment or online before official authorisation will be putting their licences at risk.
Giving the warning during an interactive session of Akwa Ibom State Education Think-Tank Committee with Education Stakeholders held in Uyo yesterday, Essien also said proprietors of such schools will run the risk of prosecution.
“No School, both public and private is authorized to start the 3rd term 2019/2020 school year, either in Schools environment or online. Resumption of schools for the school year will be announced when government is convinced that our children will be safe in Schools.
“I have been reliably informed that some private schools have already started the 3rd term online and have asked parents and guardians to pay fees and purchase digital gadgets for their wards. This should be discontinued. Any School that goes contrary to this instruction will have its licence withdrawn and will be prosecuted.
“We, however, encourage our schools to start online revision classes with their students who are still at home. This should be optional and should attract no fees. Parents are already overburdened by severe economic hardship as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown,” he said.
Essien said the government would announce the resumption of both public and private schools in the state when it is convinced of the safety of the children.
The commissioner said the ongoing School-on-Radio programme for Junior Secondary School 3 and Senior Secondary 3 in the state was put in place to help the students prepare for their external examination, adding that government also commenced the School-Radio programme for the primary schools this week.
He added that later in the week, a special website where all the lessons so far delivered on radio would be hosted to enable students go back, revise and download both audio and lecture notes in lessons already delivered.
The commissioner solicited continued commitment of the state Education Think-Tank Committee in order to realise its purpose of re-engineering the education system.
“We must reinvent Akwa Ibom to be an active participant in the coming digital revolution through quality education and innovations.
“Our education system must go through thorough transformation to meet the demand of the future. Furthermore, post-COVID-19 education will be quite different from what it used to be,” he added.
