Post Covid-19: Private school owners seek FG’s assistance, charge members on standards

The Association of Private School Owners of Nigeria (APSON) on Tuesday called on the Federal Government to assist the body and by extension private school owners in the country.

Making this appeal in his welcome address at the 2021 APSON national retreat/congress, the national president of the association, Bishop Dr.Godly Opukeme, reiterated the need for the government to assist the body, saying such gesture would go a long way in fortifying and strengthening the country’s education sector.

The theme of the retreat is; Social-Economic and Security implications of Covid-19 Pandemic on Teaching, Learning and Research in Nigerian Schools.

Opukeme who lauded the Federal ministry of Education at the event disclosed that the body has adopted some measures to further enhance the standard of education in a post-covid-19 era.

He said, “During the Covid-19 scourge, all of us went back home and we started introducing e-learning to help our pupils and wards-alike.

“After this congress, our expectation is that the federal government would assist us to develop and promote an online system for school children in Nigeria,”

The president thereafter charged private school owners and proprietors-alike to be security conscious in order to prevent spate of kidnapping of school children as presently being experienced in the country.

Also speaking, the Chairman Board of Trustee APSON, Hon. Martins Osakue, commended the association for the retreat cum workshop, saying there was a need to train those breeding tomorrow’s leaders.

“There is a need to be abreast with modern trends and I want to seek government partnership to make it a periodic event,” Osakue said.

Also speaking, the Deputy National Chairman/Chair 2021 National Congress, Hajia Mariam Magaji praised the federal government on the survival fund for members during Covid, she further charged them to continue to relate with the body for better collaborations.

“The Covid experience was so bad that some schools are still shut as the proprietors could not pay their staff. I think this is where the government should come in,” Magaji noted.

In a brief lecture at the event, a security expert, Professor Wale Okunola tasked participants to guide their wards against attack and danger.

“Security of schools has become necessary especially now that schools are targets for attack by kidnappers and bandits,” Okunola added.