Th e FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello, has approved the establishment of fi ve new secondary schools in Abuja. Th e acting director, Administration and Finance, FCTA Education Secretariat, Justina MaiMagani, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). According to her, the current FCT Administration is giving the development of education a priority and had developed strategies and policies to achieve its target. “Th e FCT minister has given approval for the establishment of an additional fi ve new senior secondary schools this year; they include Government Secondary school, Gwarimpa Estate and Government Secondary School, Gosa.
“Others are Government Secondary School Giri, Government Secondary School Paikon Kore and Government Secondary School, Bukpe. “Th ese schools were approved for establishment to meet the increasing demand for schools in their communities.” she said. Th e acting director said it was hoped that the schools would cater for the educational needs of about 3,000 students, who were out-ofschool or had to travel long distances to go to school. According to Mai-Maigani, the schools are in addition to the three schools established in 2016. Th e three schools are Government Science and Technical College Kwali, Government Science Secondary School, Pykassa and Government Secondary, Mpape, all of which have moved to their permanent sites. On accreditation of private schools, she said that the minister approved the accreditation of 115 private schools that had met all the requirements for the establishment and management of private schools in the FCT. “Th ese schools, as we know, will complement the eff orts of the government in providing quality education for students in the FCT,’’ she said. Commenting on the closure of substandard private schools, the acting director said there was a major exercise in 2016 to sanitise the private school system with the closure of 556 illegal and substandard private schools in the territory. “During the visits, we found schools located on fl ood plains, in the middle of markets, next to drinking parlours and brothels and even right on top of dump sites. “Apart from inappropriate physical structures, we also discovered the highest qualifi cation of many teachers in some of the schools was failed Senior Secondary School Examination (SSCE) certifi cate.
