Kwara State Government has issued a stern warning to coaching centres across the state to stop poaching students from public schools, particularly under the guise of preparing them for the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination.
The warning was delivered by Saka Yusuf, the Executive Director of the Agency for Mass Education, during a meeting with the Association of Private Coaching Centres of Nigeria on Tuesday.
In a statement released by the Press Secretary of the Agency, Anigilaje Rasheedat, the government emphasized that proprietors of coaching centres caught engaging in such practices would face severe legal consequences.
Yusuf expressed his disappointment that despite sensitization efforts by the agency, many coaching centres continued to flout regulations by poaching students, especially those in Junior Secondary School 3, Senior Secondary 1, and Senior Secondary 2.
He further stressed that this practice could derail students’ education and jeopardize their future, urging those involved to cease immediately or face the full weight of the law.
“Henceforth, coaching centres should not take students from schools and register them as conventional students. This practice is in direct violation of the state’s education ordinance. Proprietors must support, rather than undermine, government efforts to improve education standards in Kwara State,” Yusuf stated.
The President of the Association of Private Coaching Centres of Nigeria, Mr. Olumide Agboola, also endorsed the government’s stance. Agboola stated that any coaching centre found guilty of poaching students should be sanctioned in accordance with the law. Similarly, the Proprietor of Gama Tutors, Mr. Thomas Adebiyi, assured the government that all coaching centres under the association would comply with the new directives, pledging to adhere strictly to the association’s rules and regulations.
Kwara State authorities are determined to ensure that the integrity of the education system is preserved, and that students remain the priority in the state’s education policies.
Source: Punch/ABS