Build Proper Structures or Face Closure- DG BEQA

The Director General, Benue State Education Quality Assurance Agency (BEQA), Dr. Terna Francis, has  expressed concern over the state of some private schools in the state.

The Director General has made the mission of the agency clear since assumption which is to introduce policies and programmes that will improve the quality of education in all schools below tertiary levels. through certain criteria like the standardization, monitoring and evaluation of both private and public schools as well as the harmonization of quality assurance services in all parastatals under the ministry of education.

Following this, he has extended a warm welcome to all education stakeholders, the state coordinator, and top staff of the National Examinations Council (NECO).

Dr. Francis emphasized the importance of unity and collaboration among all stakeholders to enhance the quality of education within the state

In a meeting between the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Education and Knowledge Management, and the principals of post basic institutions, the Honourable Commissioner, Rev. Dr. Frederick Ikyaan announced that the government of Benue State will be registering SSCE for final year students in government-established schools. The Commissioner stated with clarity that only government owned schools are to benefit from the intervention.

Earlier, the Honourable Commissioner, together with the DG, Benue State Education Quality Assurance Agency had a meeting with the 23 Local government Area Education Officers to strengthen their relationship and improve on a working relationship.

On the heels of the Benue State Education Quality Assurance Agency mission and vision,DG Dr. Terna Francis, read a riot act out, recently on a live NTA Makurdi program, BLISS, where he warned of possible arrests and prosecution of hawking and wandering school age kids’ parents, where such kids are sighted during school days and hours.

The BEQA DG, whilst responding to questions from the anchors of the program on the status of the enrolment drive of out of school kids, said promoting the enrolment of school age kids into schools is a core mandate of the newly created agency.

The DG said education is a right as aptly captured in the Child’s Rights Act of Benue state 2008. He decried the sorry situation in even parts of the Makurdi metropolis, where kids that should be in school are seen hawking all manner of wares, whilst their mates study.

The DG also used the live program to inform parents of the requisite fees to be paid for external examination bodies such as WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB. This the DG described as exceptionally necessary, with the revelations his routine monitoring exercise of schools exposed. The DG read out the approved fees for the two most abused examination bodies in terms of charges to strictly include:
* WAEC: NGN 27,000 + a Ministry of Education and Knowledge Management approved handling charge of NGN 5000.
* NECO: NGN 25,250 (inclusive of NECO ancillary charges) + a Ministry of Education and Knowledge Management approved handling charge of NGN 5000. The DG warned for the umpteenth time that any school found charging above the stated amounts under the guise of examination fees will be treated as an inglorious malpractice ridden “miracle centre”.

While on the monitoring visits, Dr. Francis observed that some school owners were operating without approvals and not meeting educational standards. He also noted that some schools were using learners for business purposes, rather than providing quality education.

On another unannounced visit, the DG met students learning under poultry-like make-shift structures, and warned the management of these schools he visited to upgrade their facilities or face closure in three month

The BEQA DG reiterated to the management of some of the schools visited to strictly adhere to stipulated examination fees as officially allowed by the three examination bodies WAEC, NECO and NABTEB.

The DG and his team recently visited;

* FAJUDE academy Tse Ayu, Makurdi
* Idyu nursery and primary school Makurdi
* Freedom model college Makurdi
* Sapphire schools Makurdi
* Nadi schools Makurdi
* Vaatia college Makurdi

The DG’s vigilance sends a clear message to school owners prioritizing profit over educational excellence that there will be consequences for failing to meet standards.