THE state commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Dennis Ityavyar has stated that 2,424 schools have been closed down in the state.
Ityavyar said the closure was necessitated by the daunting 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 do not have good environment, playground and good classrooms.
According to the breakdown; 1,977 primary schools were affected, 433 secondary schools and 14 tertiary institutions.
The commissioner said that the illegal schools is resulted into production of half-baked graduates leading to the establishment of so many miracle centers.
The commissioner said, ‘the decision to embark on closure of illegal schools across the 23 local governments of the state is a deliberate step towards improving the standards of quality education in the state.’
He warned the authority of the closed schools to adhere to the closure order until all the criterial are met adding that whoever who float the order will face prosecution.
The commissioner said that powerful team has been set up in all the local governments, to ensure strict compliance, members of the team are, traditional rulers, opinion leaders, representatives of state commissioner of police and Director State Security Services as well as area education officers.
It will be recalled that Benue state ranked 14 out of 36 states in the 2017 West African Examination Council, WAEC.