By Tony Nyong
The Akwa Ibom State Government has announced the closure of two nursery schools in the Eket Senatorial District of the state following the death of two pupils of Saintly Nursery School, Priscila Victor Okereke and Ada Eso Okereke who fell into an open septic tank at the school and got drowned.
The state Commissioner for Education, Dr. NseAbasi Akpan, made the announcement while undertaking inspection of Saintly Nursery School in Eket, attributing the death of the two pupils to poor facilities as well as negligence and non-challant attitude of the school authorities towards the welfare of the children.
He frowned on the general poor infrastructural level of facilities in most private schools, warning that henceforth the State Ministry of Education would embark on a comprehensive inspection of private nursery and secondary schools to ascertain the quality of infrastructure in such schools and appealed to parents to desist from sending their wards to schools without prescribed facilities.
Akpan, who also announced the withdrawal of authority to operate the school, directed the Divisional Police Officer of Eket, who was in his entourage alongside with the team of education officials, to seal up the school premises, condoling with the parents of the late pupils who were present at the school during the commissioner’s visit.
Meanwhile, two children at Roseland Nursery/Primary School, located at 14 Afaha Ukwa Road, Eket were rescued from drowning recently from a collapsed soak away pit at the school premises.
Narrating the incident, the school Headmistress, Miss Idongesit James Tom,said the two pupils were saved by their timely rescue from the collapsed soak away owing to the noise by other pupils which attracted the staff and other workers in the school.
The commissioner directed the school management to use quality materials in constructing soak away which was undergoing reconstruction at the time of the visit and instructed the Inspectorate Division of the Ministry to revisit the school to ensure compliance.
On a visit to Secondary Commercial School, Ikot Etok Udo where a female JS2 student, Miss Idara Udo Ibanga,was reported dead as a result of receiving three strokes of the cane from a school master , the commissioner warned against inflicting corporal punishment on students.
He admoshiedthe principals and teachers that it was unethical to be involved in the administration of corporal punishment and that offenders will be disciplined.
It is good that the school has been closed,but government should not stop there.The school inspectorate division should be made to engage in systematic inspection of all schools to make sure that the incident that led to the death of these wonderful children will not repeat itself in the state again.Government should rein in on those unscrupulous individuals who indiscriminately set up schools without putting the well being of the children into account.A heavy fine should be imposed on the school to serve as a warning to others.The family should equally embark on legal redress in the form of suing the school for the wrongful death of their children.This is the only way justice can be done to those children.People should be held accountable for their actions.
In fact, the school should be closed down till futher notice for their non-chanllant and lakadastical behaviour.
It’s so unfortunate.
a revealing story indeed!
Whose fault? Private school owners or Government? if Public schools are good and well funded, who will patronise these private schools? look at what is happening in public universities (unending strike), very soon government will fade out public universities leaving the poor masses in the hand of greedy private school owners. What do you expect when our leaders are establishing private schools here and there instead of improving the existing public schools thereby encouraging patronage. Those poor neglected children will later become problems in the society and will disturb their silver spoon children in
future. Hon. Minister of Education do something. Little words for the wise.