Cross River Government Shuts 36 Illegal Schools in Crackdown on Unapproved Institutions

The Cross River State Government has closed 36 unapproved schools ranging from primary to secondary operating without registration or official approval across three local government areas.

The state Commissioner for Education, Professor Stephen Odey, confirmed the development on Tuesday in Calabar, describing the situation as “unfortunate.” He lamented that some individuals continue to exploit unsuspecting parents by running unlicensed schools.

Odey explained that the closures were carried out by the State Task Force on Illegal Schools, inaugurated earlier this month, adding that the ministry would no longer tolerate unauthorised or “mushroom” operations in the state’s education sector.

“We have begun full-scale enforcement across the three educational zones in Calabar, Ikom, and Ogoja to sanitise the system and ensure that only schools meeting the required standards are allowed to operate,” Odey said.

According to a publication from the ministry, 16 schools in Calabar, 10 in Ikom, and 10 in Ogoja were affected, all found to be operating without government approval.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to quality education, the commissioner stressed that only duly registered and accredited schools would be permitted to function.

He urged parents and guardians to verify the approval status of schools before enrolling their children, warning that the enforcement exercise would soon extend to all 18 local government areas of the state.

“This exercise will continue until every illegal school is either regularised or shut down. We are determined to protect the integrity of education in Cross River State,” Odey added.