Edo to clampdown on unregistered, substandard private schools

Seeks end to human trafficking, illegal migration
Edo State Government has said it would, from August 2023, begin
clampdown on unregistered and unapproved schools in the state, as part
of renewed efforts to sanitise the education system.

This was disclosed by the Acting Director General (DG) of Quality
Assurance (QA) of the Ministry of Education, Rosaline Okosun, during a
meeting with leaders and private school owners in the state.

While stressing that the state government is stepping up monitoring
of schools in the state, Okosun said the move is not to witch-hunt
anyone, but to ensure quality and standard.

She said 1,716 private schools have been registered in the state,
including 920 primary and 796 secondary schools.

She said: “We have more than these numbers of schools in Edo. Others
are not yet registered, and we are here to work together to ensure all
private schools in the state are registered. The state government is
concerned about learners and what they will benefit from the educational
system. So, it is no longer business as usual.

MEANWHILE, the state government has articulated the impact of its
reforms and programmes in tackling the menace of human trafficking and
illegal migration indigenes of the state in the last six years,
reassuring that it will continue to strengthen the legal framework and
institutions to stamp out the scourge in the state.

The Executive Secretary of the Edo State Taskforce Against Human
Trafficking (ETAHT), Itohan Okungbowa, disclosed this at a press
briefing to commemorate the World Day Against Trafficking in Person,
celebrated yearly by the United Nations (UN) and its sister agencies.

With the theme, ‘Reach Every Victim Of Trafficking, Leave No One
Behind,’ World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2023 aims at raising
awareness of this disturbing development.

The latest United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Global
Report on trafficking in persons, which identified this developments and
trends, called on governments, law enforcement, public services and
civil society to assess and enhance their efforts to strengthen
prevention, identify and support victims and end impunity.

Okungbowa explained that a task force was set up to drastically curb
incidences of human trafficking and irregular migration in the state,
working with stakeholders to redeem the lost glory of the state. He
noted that the team has made huge progress with the task.

She said: “It is estimated that one million persons are trafficked
globally, and between 20,000 and 50,000 into foreign countries yearly.
Under the ETAHT Welcome Programme, we have successfully received and
welcomed 5,515 returnees in 79 batches from August 2017 to July 2023.