The Anambra State government has directed all owners of private schools operating without official approval to obtain the necessary authorisation by September or face closure.

Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, the state’s Commissioner for Education, gave the warning during a stakeholders’ meeting of proprietors of private schools in Awka on Thursday.

Ms Chuma-Udeh questioned the reasons for the delay in securing the necessary approvals despite multiple warnings and an extended grace period. She said any further delay would not be tolerated.

“There are still many private schools in the state that have yet to be approved. The time given by the governor to shut down such schools has expired.

“Even though I took permission from the governor to extend the time and has been holding back the task force, the owners of the schools are still delaying.

“This meeting is to know the reason for the delay in getting approval. But if by the beginning of the first term, those schools are yet to be approved, we will close them down; that is what the law stipulates, and we have given enough grace,” she said.

Some school proprietors alleged that impostors pretending to be government officials had visited their schools to extort money.

The commissioner promised to look into the complaint and act accordingly.

(NAN)