Why Kano Govt Shut Down 9 Private Schools

The Kano State Private and Voluntary Institutions Board (KSPVIB) has temporarily closed nine private schools for failing to comply with revalidation and recertification requirements.

The Executive Secretary of the board, Comrade Baba Abubakar Umar, disclosed this during a media parley in Kano, explaining that the affected schools had failed to regularise their operations despite repeated notices and directives.

The affected schools include Zayyad Academy, Success International Schools, Sunshine International School, Perfect Schools, Al-Fa’iq International College, Mainasara International School, Shula Academy, Darul Mu’uminat Comprehensive School, and Hanan International School.

Comrade Umar noted that the board had identified 111 schools that had allegedly circumvented its regulatory procedures. He added that the nine schools were selected for sanctions after failing to comply with directives to revalidate their registration.

He explained that the affected schools would remain closed for seven days, effective from the date of the announcement, while warning that any school that reopened without authorisation would face legal action.

The Executive Secretary noted that some of the affected institutions had also failed to comply with court directives to regularise their operations, stressing that the board would enforce the law against schools that continued to disregard its instructions.

Comrade Umar said the revalidation and recertification exercise was designed to improve the regulation of private and voluntary schools, strengthen data collection, and ensure compliance with educational standards across Kano State.

He stressed that the Kano State House of Assembly had reviewed the law governing the board, originally enacted in 2014, resulting in an updated legal framework to regulate private and voluntary institutions.

The executive secretary also warned school proprietors against arbitrary increases in school fees, insisting that requests for such adjustments must be submitted for approval and that any approved increases must be implemented at the beginning of an academic session.

He further cautioned schools against compelling parents to purchase uniforms, books, and sandals exclusively from school authorities when the items were readily available in the open market.

Comrade Umar urged school proprietors to establish duly registered Parent-Teacher Associations and adhere to approved curricula. He also warned against the arbitrary expulsion of pupils without informing their parents.

He appealed to school owners to cooperate with the board, assuring them that its primary responsibility was to promote quality education, resolve disputes amicably, and ensure that private institutions operated within the law.