Following the indiscriminate cropping of illegal colleges of education in the state, the Bauchi State Government has closed down 39 of such schools due to lack of following due process in its registration. This was made known today by the state Commissioner for Higher Education, Mrs Lydia Tsammani, who convened a press conference in Bauchi town, the capital of Bauchi state.
Tsammani disclosed that the affected institutions did not get the approval of the National Commission for Colleges of Education, NCCE, or put in place tangible infrastructure that will warrant them operate as colleges.
According to her, “A total of 39 colleges were found to be without anything. They are operating in primary schools and when the school closes, then the NCE programmes start with even primary and secondary school teachers as their teachers.
She lamented, “They even borrowed teachers because they don’t have anything to make them stand as a college”.
The commissioner said the ministry issued a notice to unregistered colleges with approved structures, to complete their registration within six months or face similar sanctions.
She explained that 12 out of the colleges are operating with NCCE’s approval but would be allowed to continue on the condition that they engage qualified staff and pay their registration fees to the ministry in the state.
“They must ensure that they admit only qualified candidates because it was discovered some of them are just interested in the school fees.
“They must also ensure continuous upgrade of school facilities and equipment. Some of them are still using analogue typewriters in their offices in this digital era,” she averred.
(NAN)