The Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State has reiterated its stand to ban teachers and children from hawking during school hours.

The council also vowed to henceforth arrest and jail any parents whose child or ward defaults the ban.

The Public School Supervision Committee (PSSC) chairman, Dr. Amadi Aroh, said this on Friday during a meeting with Education Secretaries, Headteachers and the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) in Ogbede.

Aroh warned that the Committee would no longer tolerate teachers who habitually use school hours to engage in other businesses and asked such teachers to resign.

He blamed teachers, who were not dedicated to their duties, for the loss of trust in public schools, saying the action encouraged parents to enroll their children and wards in private schools.

While noting that most private schools were not standard, the PSSC chairman pledged the committee’s determination to restore the lost glory and parents’ confidence in public schools.

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According to him, the interaction with the headteachers and SBMC members aligned with the plans and vision of the LG chairman, Dr. Eric Odo, on education, which must be achieved.

He noted that the PSSC was not interested in witch-hunting any teacher or headteacher, adding that it would not hesitate to sanction anyone found wanting in his or her responsibility.

In his remark, the Education Secretary of Igbo-Etiti LGA, Mr Johnson Nwafor, pledged the cooperation of the four Secretaries in Igbo-Etiti West, East, North and Central Education Authorities.

Nwafor noted that the move to reposition public schools in Igbo-Etiti would lessen the pressure faced by parents, who paid exorbitant fees in private schools.

He commended Dr. Aroh’s choice as the PSSC’s chairman, describing it as a square peg in a square hole.

A member of the SBMC, Okpara Memorial Primary School, Ikolo, Mr Paul Agada, appealed to the Committee to create a conducive environment for the learning activities in the area