Concerned Private Schools Owners in Edo State have appealed to Governor Godwin Obaseki to consider announcing a new date of school resumption to enable them make adequate preparations.
The group made the appeal during an enlarged meeting of its members in Benin City, saying much as the state government has good intentions in postponing schools resumption, the ripple effect on school owners are enormous.
Bishop Emanuel Elakhe Ohis, chairman of Coalition of Private Schools in Edo, said the meeting became necessary due to the pressure and apprehension of members over the delay in resumption of schools for the first term of the 2024/2025 academic session.
He said Concerned School Owners have expressed fear that any delay in school resumption beyond September 23 would result in schools losing most of their pupils and students as most parents already feel that the term has been halved and they prefer to wait till next term before their children resume, so it’s cost saving for them.
Members of the group also lamented that if schools remain closed for a long time, payment of taxes, renewal etc and other prerequisites for clearance for the next enrolment for Middle Basic Assessment (MBA), Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), and Senior Secondary Certificate Examination, (SSCE), in December 2024 will pose a big challenge for them due to paucity in resumption and funds.
They expressed fear that private schools will lose their teachers due to inability to pay backlog of salaries, adding that some schools run on loans and repayment is termly based and that non resumption and decline in population will put them in deep mess, just as the group emphasized that continous keeping of pupils and students at home will lead to increase in social vices.