The Kwara State Government has issued a firm directive to coaching centres across the state, warning them to cease the illegal practice of poaching students from public schools under the guise of preparing them for the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination.
During a meeting with the leadership of the Association of Private Coaching Centres of Nigeria on Tuesday, the Executive Director of the Agency for Mass Education, Saka Yusuf, expressed his concerns and delivered the warning.
According to a statement from the Agency for Mass Education’s Press Secretary, Anigilaje Rasheedat, the government stressed that coaching centre proprietors who engage in this activity would be held fully accountable by law.
Yusuf voiced his dissatisfaction with the continued disregard for regulations, even after the agency’s advocacy efforts. He pointed out that many coaching centres had been illegally recruiting students, particularly those in Junior Secondary School 3, Senior Secondary 1, and Senior Secondary 2, a practice he warned could severely disrupt their education and hinder their future.
He urged those responsible to stop immediately or face strict legal consequences.
“Coaching centres should no longer recruit students from schools and register them as conventional students. This is a clear breach of the state’s education ordinance. Proprietors should support, not undermine, the government’s efforts to improve education standards in Kwara State,” Yusuf stated.
In response, the President of the Association of Private Coaching Centres of Nigeria and Proprietor of Lumex Tutors, Mr. Olumide Agboola, expressed his support for the government’s position, agreeing that any coaching centre found guilty should face appropriate legal sanctions.
Meanwhile, Proprietor of Gama Tutors, Mr. Thomas Adebiyi, assured the government that all coaching centres would adhere to the new directive, committing to follow the association’s regulations and put an end to such unethical practices.
