Benue govt shuts 2,424 schools for poor performance

Benue State government said, on Tuesday, that no fewer than 2,424 schools had been closed down in the state.

The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Dennis Ityavyar who disclosed this, said the closure was necessitated by the abysmal performance of Benue students in both internal and external examinations.

He stated that the affected schools which cut across the 23 local government areas of the state did not have good environment, playground and classrooms.

According to the breakdown, 1,977 primary schools,  433 secondary schools and 14 tertiary institutions were affected.

The commissioner said the schools were known for producing half-baked graduates.

The commissioner said ‘the decision to embark on closure of the schools was a deliberate step towards improving the standards of quality education in the state.”

He warned the authorites of the closed schools to adhere to the closure order until all the criteria are met, adding that whoever flouted the order will face prosecution.

The commissioner said a team had been set up in all the local governments to ensure compliance, and members of the team are traditional rulers, opinion leaders, representatives of state Commissioner of Police and Director of state Department of State Services (DSS) as well as area education officers.

It will be recalled that Benue State ranked 14 out of 36 states in the 2017 West African School Certificate Examinations (WAEC).