By FUNMILAYO ADEYEMI

The Federal Ministry of Education on Tuesday embarked on a nationwide schools monitoring and evaluation to stamp out institutions not registered and operating as ?miracle centres?.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ministry commenced the exercise with visit to some schools in the Federal Capital Territory.

NAN also recalls that the ministry in 2007 had embarked on similar exercise to identify schools found culpable of malpractices.

The assessment gave rise to the backlisting of some schools and eradicating miracle centres, which made 2008 to 2010 the most ethics-friendly exam years in the country.

At on-the-spot assessment of the Redeemer Teap International School (RTIS), Abuja, the Team Lead from the ministry, Rukayat Ibrahim, said the visit was aimed at putting schools on the right track.

Ibrahim, also a Deputy Director in the Federal Education Quality Assurance Service (FEQAS) of the ministry, explained the ministry?s resolve to stamp out miracle centres across the country.

?This activity is a nationwide assessment and taking place simultaneously in all the states and FCT.

?This is to enable us cover more schools and bring out reports that the management at the ministry can quickly read and know what is happening in the schools,? she said.

Similarly, Mr Yinka Amodu, from the FEQAS department of the ministry, stressed the need to strengthen the evaluation to put schools on their toes.

Amodu noted that the exercise was not limited to private schools, but all-encompassing including public schools, creche, and early childhood education.

?We are doing this today to help the schools, the learners the parents and also help the country.

?In 2007, we were able to discover some ?kangaroo schools? that are not registered. They don?t have qualified or professional teachers. Even if you see some of the buildings they use, they are dilapidated.

?It was because of this kind of evaluation that we embarked on then, that we were able to identify these schools.

?If there is no check and balances, the educational system in this country will not grow; we cannot continue doing the same thing, and expect to achieve a different result,? he said.

The School?s Principal, Oladimeji Yusuf, pledged to work and improve on areas identified by the team as needing improvement, while also providing adequate facilities for the learners and teachers.

The NAN reports that the yardstick for assessment includes skills development, conducive learning environments, classroom space, laboratory equipment, ICT facility, clinics, and perimeter fencing among others. (NAN)

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