Howard Kailey
@kaileyhoward5460
4 days ago
📍Owerri, Nigeria
Finally, the government is doing something about all those "schools" popping up inside people's living rooms and unfinished buildings across Owerri. I saw the news about the Imo Government shutting down illegal schools in residential areas and withdrawing their licenses. It's about time.
I live by Umuguma Road, and just on my street alone, there were at least three "academy" signs hanging on gates of regular family houses. One of them was even running classes in a completed but unfurnished building with no windows, no desks, just children sitting on mats on the floor. I couldn't believe parents were paying for that. Another one near the junction by Aladinma had no toilet facilities at all. The kids were just using the bush behind the plot. That's not education, that's child neglect.
The real issue is that many of these places charge cheap fees, like 5,000 to 10,000 Naira per term, so struggling parents rush there. But you get what you pay for. No qualified teachers, no curriculum, no safety. I've heard stories of children being taught by secondary school leavers who can't even spell "environment" correctly.
On the flip side, we have proper schools like the ones along Wetheral Road and around the New Owerri area that have been running legitimately for years. Those ones follow the rules. The government needs to guide parents on how to verify if a school is registered. Maybe publish a list of approved schools online or at the local government secretariat.
My advice? If your child's school is inside a bungalow with no signboard or a torn banner, do your homework. Ask for their license number. Visit the Ministry of Education office at the state secretariat to confirm. Don't let cheap fees cost your child's future. This shutdown might be inconvenient for some parents now, but in the long run, it's protecting our children.
Let's keep our eyes open. Report any suspicious school operating in your neighborhood to the authorities. We need to clean up our education system one street at a time. #Neighbors #Owerri #Owerri #LocalGuide #EducationMatters #StopIllegalSchools #ImoState #ChildSafety #KnowYourRights #updateyournircle #booksonnircle #modelingonnircle
