(DDM) – The Delta State Government has intensified its clampdown on unregulated private schools by shutting down three institutions and revoking the licenses of three others in Oshimili South Local Government Area.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that the decisive move followed a routine monitoring exercise conducted in Asaba, where government inspectors uncovered serious violations of education standards.
The Commissioner for Primary Education, Dr. Kingsley Ashibogwu, who supervised the enforcement, described the action as part of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s wider reforms to ensure that children in Delta State receive quality education in safe and conducive environments.
According to Ashibogwu, the affected institutions include Prime Seed of Abraham School, Mater Christi Group of Schools, and Shekinah the King Nursery and Primary School, all based in the Okwe axis of Asaba.
He confirmed that the schools were sealed for operating without securing official government approval, despite repeated warnings.
Other schools sanctioned were All to Jesus Nursery and Primary School, St. Helen Fountain of Roses, and Winners Vineyard Montessori International School.
Their licenses were revoked after inspectors discovered that learning spaces had been illegally converted into residential apartments and that some proprietors were misleading the public with fake approval claims.
The Commissioner said it was regrettable that some proprietors continued to endanger pupils’ academic progress by flouting the most basic regulations governing private education in the state.
He stressed that the Oborevwori administration had zero tolerance for such practices and would intensify surveillance to weed out illegal operators.
Ashibogwu urged parents to demand proof of accreditation before enrolling their wards, warning that ignorance could expose children to substandard teaching and unsafe learning conditions.
He said the ministry would continue to update the public with the names of duly approved schools to guide parents in making informed choices.
The Commissioner further explained that education reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda at the federal level had also encouraged states to align their monitoring systems to global standards.
He noted that Delta State has prioritized teacher recruitment, curriculum review, and infrastructure upgrades, but insisted that private schools must also play their part responsibly.
Stakeholders in the education sector have welcomed the latest clampdown, describing it as timely and necessary.
A parent, Mrs. Uju Okonkwo, told DDM that many families were lured into enrolling their children in unapproved schools because proprietors promised cheap fees, only for the pupils to later face academic setbacks when such schools were shut down.
Education analysts point out that the proliferation of “mushroom schools” is not peculiar to Delta but a nationwide challenge worsened by population growth, urban migration, and the commercialization of education.
They argue that while private sector participation is critical in closing gaps in access to education, strong regulation remains the only way to guarantee quality.
In Delta, successive administrations have invested in teacher training and school rehabilitation, but concerns remain about the unchecked growth of poorly managed private institutions.
Observers say the latest action in Asaba sends a strong signal that the state government is determined to safeguard its children’s future, no matter whose interest is affected.
Ashibogwu concluded that more unannounced inspections will be carried out across the 25 local government areas of the state, warning proprietors that the government will not hesitate to shut down schools that undermine standards.
He described education as the bedrock of development, insisting that the state cannot compromise on the welfare of its children or allow unscrupulous operators to derail Delta’s progress.