By MILLICENT IFEANYICHUKWU

The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), has hailed the shutting down of 22 illegal Colleges of Education by the Federal Government, described it a timely and necessary step to safeguard students.

Mr Adeolu Ogunbanjo, Chairman, Board of Trustees, of NAPTAN made the remark as part of reaction on the development in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu had recently urged the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) to weed out illegal higher institutions.

The NCCE had uncovered and shutdown 22 illegal Colleges of Education, operating across the country, following the directions by the Federal Government.

Ogunbanjo declared that the educational audits must continue, saying that children and parents must not keep wasting resources on illegal, unaccredited and fraudulent institutions.

According to him, it’s a good development in the right direction, timely and necessary which will go a long way in safeguarding students and sanitise the education sector.

“A lot of people may wonder why and the number ’22’ but what is the use of attending unaccredited schools or institutions that are not approved by NUC or NBTE, no, it is totally unacceptable.

“It constitutes a waste of time, waste of money for parents and a waste of effort for students whose certificates will eventually not be recognised.

“Imagine graduating and realising that the institution you attended is unrecognised, it will be frustrating, and it is going to be a tough one for many unsuspecting students.

The NAPTAN official declared that closing the identified institutions was the right step, the right direction, saying it’s a measure that the government must continue to prevent.

He noted that the regulatory bodies did well in discovering the illegality, added that the effort is commendable, adding “this development should send warning signal to private and public institutions without proper accreditation.” (NAN)

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