The Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development in Kwara, Alhaji Saka Onimago, yesterday said the state government had recently closed down 39 extramural centres for operating illegally.
Onimago told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin that the centres, which included “coaching centres’’ and evening classes, were shut down by a Task Force.
He said the Task Force was made up of officials of the ministry and the Agency for Mass Education.
“All the centres shut down are privately-owned and have not been approved by the state government, and they are operating in Ilorin,’’ the commissioner said.
He said the Task Force would soon move to other parts of the state, explaining that the exercise was to rid the state of sub-standard learning centres.
Onimago also said the closure of the centres was to ensure sanity in the operations of such “schools’’ in the state.
“In addition, this will also serve as a deterrent to people planning to set up such centres,’’ he said.
The commissioner said every extramural centre or evening class in the state must be approved by the Ministry of Education.
“Also, sanctions will be imposed on any of the centres earlier shut down but which reopens without formalising its registration with the state’s Mass Literacy Agency,’’ he said.
Onimago said the Task Force had been split into three teams to enable it effectively cover the state within a reasonable period.(NAN)
