By Marie-Therese Nanlong

Jos—Plateau State government has sealed over 50 illegally-operated private schools in the state. It also realised about N15 million as fine paid by some of the penalised schools.

The Commissioner for Secondary Education, Mr. Joseph Mairiga, who disclosed this yesterday while speaking with Vanguard in his office in Jos, said the aim of the monitoring exercise was not about raising revenue, but ensuring that school children got the best as private schools adhere to laid down rules for their establishment.

He said: “We are trying to sanitise and revamp the education sector and make sure we create a status for education, because we want the best for the Plateau child. We want their future to be good.

“We do not want schools operating in someone’s house or church in a mushroom manner. We have sealed over 50 schools so far across the state. The closure is not a permanent one, but informing them to come and formalise their existence.

“We will still serve the schools with letters, giving them specific time to come and rectify whatever issues they have and after the time elapses, if they refuse, total closure will follow.

“We have generated a reasonable amount of money from the exercise: over N15 million. When others that were penalised for the illegality pay their fines, it will be more than that amount.”

Mairiga called on parents to have background checks on schools before registering their children, adding that “besides academic, children need space for physical exercise, which is also part of learning.”