Yobe Govt Makes Arabic, French Compulsory In All Schools

The Yobe State government has approved a dual curricula in all public schools in the state.

The government said the policy will also be applied in private schools for interested children to memorise Qur’an and learn Arabic Language, adding that if a student or pupil is not interested in such, then they will have to learn French instead so that they can graduate with at least two languages apart from their mother tongue.

This is even as the government cancelled the licences of all private schools in the state and asked operators interested in following the laid rules and regulations to re-apply for new licences.

The government said activities of all private schools in the state must tally with those of public schools, saying that the proprietors will no longer be allowed to operate and set rules that violate the norms and values of the state.

The State Commissioner of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Muhammad Sani Idriss, disclosed this at a meeting with proprietors of private schools on Thursday.

He maintained that no private school will operate without a licence and the era of taking shortcuts in the registration of private schools is over.

Sounding a note of warning, the Commissioner said henceforth, private schools should operate in consonance with the public schools across the state.

He said, “We have cancelled the licences so that we would renew them. There was a time when some of the private schools were licensed but with the condition that they would meet some standard, but they have failed to meet up with this standard and they are still operating and the licences are with them.

“So, if you must operate a private school in Yobe State, you must play the game by its rules. That is why we decided to scrap and cancel all the licences. We are saying that you should re-apply and within a period of 30 days, you have your licences.

“Mind you, we have not closed any private schools but what we are saying is that any private school that is not licensed henceforth is not ready to play the game by its rules.

“What we have done is licences have been revoked, you can operate for a period of one month, come to us and purchase the form, we will assess your school and if you are qualified within a period of 30 days, you have backed your licence to operate and we are going to write all facts that we have to cancel all the licences owned by private schools. Therefore, parents should take note that we are going to also communicate with WAEC.”