The Benue State Bureau for Education Quality Assurance, BEQA, in collaboration with the Benue State Urban Development Board, BSUDB, has planned the demolition of substandard schools in the State.
According to BEQA, the exercise would commence at the end of the 2023–2024 academic session across the State.
This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday in Makurdi by the Director General of BEQA, Dr Terna Francis.
He pointed that the move underscored BEQA’s commitment to restoring excellence in the State Education sector.
The DG decried the rot in the sector but assured that the Governor Hyacinth Alia-led administration will put a halt to that. He said the Government is committed to transforming the sector and making it the envy of other States.
Dr Francis stated that BEQA had already taken steps to ensure sanity in the education sector in the State.
He said, “Our office is tasked with the responsibility of closing schools that fail to meet establishment guidelines, and education laws. And as well as the National Policy on Education.”
“At the end of this term, BEQA would publish a list of all substandard schools operating in the State. These are the ones that would be affected by the exercise.
The DG, therefore, advised parents to withdraw their children and wards from such schools for quality-assured ones. “We will not only seal schools but also demolish structures that threaten learners’ safety,” he warned.
Dr. Francis also advised anyone seeking to establish a school in the State to first visit the Urban Development Board. And to obtain all the necessary permits before undertaking the venture.
“It is no longer business as usual. Because the Bureau will effectively monitor to the letter, each step in the process of school establishment in any part of the State,” he said.
In a remark, the General Manager of BSUDB, Ternongo Mede, stated his readiness to work with BEQA.
He said: “Education in the State has become a business for many people. But we are prepared to synergize with BEQA to commence this exercise of demolishing illegal school structures immediately.”
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