The Chairman of the Advisory Board of Chrisland Schools, Mr Ike Ofuokwu, has raised concerns over the increasing trend of private school ownership in Nigeria being driven more by business interests than genuine passion for education and child development.
Speaking with journalists, Ofuokwu said it was worrisome that many private schools were springing up without clear standards or structures that guarantee quality education, child protection and quality assurance.
“If the truth must be told, a lot of private schools that are coming up are doing so from the business point of view.
“Chrisland Schools did not start as a business. It started as a passion to positively impact society. But today, you will just see a man who has the money and who sees owning a school as a lucrative business, opening one for his children or wife.
“Many of these schools don’t know about safeguarding, child protection policy, quality assurance, among others. All they do is put up nice buildings,” he said.
Ofuokwu, a legal practitioner and chartered administrator, boasted that Chrisland Schools has always prioritised holistic child development.
“Our duty as a board is to formulate policies and strategic planning for both the present and future running of the group of schools and to create a pathway for the management,” he said.
He further argued that a major issue with Nigeria’s educational sector lies in the lack of political will and poor funding for public schools.
He enjoined the government to stop politicising education and recognise that quality education is not cheap.
“Education is not a comedy, it is serious business. What we impart to the young ones will determine the future of our society.
“The government is running education with zero financial policy. There must be a price tag for quality education. Let the rich pay for education, and the state pays for the poor through functional scholarship boards and welfare schemes,” he said.
Ofuokwu also cautioned against singling out private schools for criticism when incidents occur, noting that unfortunate events also happen in public schools.
“Incidents are not peculiar to private schools. As we speak, ugly incidents may be taking place in public schools, but you won’t hear about them. The private schools deal with elitist parents who have the wherewithal to fight you.
“One of the consequences of growth is occasional drawbacks. If you focus only on them, rather than converting them to learning experiences, your growth will be negatively impacted.”
Commenting on Chrisland’s reputation in the face of recent controversies, Ofuokwu urged the public to assess the school based on its academic track record and not isolated incidents.
“When you consider the fact that this school has been in existence for close to 50 years, it’s unlikely we won’t face challenges.
“We have produced tons of corporate high-flyers and globally respected individuals. Our students continue to clear global exams and set standards of excellence. Chrisland is still the school to beat,” he said.
He added that the school has instituted stricter policies to ensure the safety and mental well-being of students, including screening parents during admission to prevent potential issues stemming from family crises.
“From the next session, before we admit a child, both parents must come for a chat. If we observe any reason that may mentally affect the child or pose a risk to the school, we will decline the application,” he disclosed.
On the matter of social media backlash and false allegations, Ofuokwu narrated a past incident where a parent allegedly attempted to use Chrisland to fabricate a molestation story for asylum purposes.
“We later discovered the parent wanted to use the case to get asylum abroad. That’s why we now require recommendations before accepting new students,” Ofuokwu added.
Ofuokwu concluded by calling for stronger educational policies, emphasising that without clear standards from primary to tertiary levels, the future of Nigeria’s education remains in jeopardy.
“Even if we have the best president, if the generation that will build the country has japa, who will build the future? We must make education attractive and not a punishment.
“Let the rich pay, let the poor serve the state, that is how to build a functional educational system,” he said.
