The Bauchi State Government has ordered the closure of 39 private colleges of education due to their failure to secure proper registration and meet the required standards.
The decision was announced by the Commissioner for Higher Education, Mrs. Lydia Tsammani, during a press briefing in Bauchi on Thursday.
Mrs. Tsammani explained that the affected institutions had not obtained approval from the National Commission for Colleges of Education and lacked the necessary infrastructure to operate as legitimate educational establishments.
“A total of 39 colleges were found to be without anything. They are operating in primary schools, and when the school closes, then the NCE programmes start, with even primary and secondary school teachers as their instructors,” Tsammani said.
She further revealed that some of these colleges resorted to borrowing teachers due to a lack of qualified staff.
“They even borrowed teachers because they don’t have anything to make them stand as a college,” she added.
In response to this situation, the ministry has issued a six-month ultimatum to other unregistered colleges with approved structures, urging them to complete their registration or face similar sanctions.
Regarding the 12 colleges operating with NCCE approval, Tsammani stated they would be allowed to continue their operations only after hiring qualified staff and settling their registration fees with the ministry.
“They must ensure that they admit only qualified candidates because it was discovered that some of them are just interested in the school fees,” she emphasized.
“They must also ensure continuous upgrade of school facilities and equipment. Some of them are still using analogue typewriters in their offices in this digital era,” she concluded.
The government’s action is part of its ongoing efforts to ensure that educational institutions in Bauchi State meet the necessary standards and provide quality education to students.
