The Benue State Government has sealed two schools over alleged violations of the state’s textbook policy, including complaints that pupils were victimised for failing to purchase prescribed books directly from their schools.
The affected institutions, Orenda and Opal Schools, were shut following complaints from parents and an investigation by the Benue Education Quality Assurance and Examinations Board.
The board said the action followed petitions concerning the schools’ alleged enforcement of textbook purchases and the treatment of pupils whose parents did not buy the prescribed materials through the institutions.
According to a report by Punch Newspapers, the board’s Executive Secretary, Dr Terna Francis, led officials from its Directorate of Enforcement and Compliance to the schools, where a court order authorising the sealing of the premises was served on the proprietor.
The closures place the spotlight on the responsibility of school authorities to comply with approved education policies and ensure that pupils are treated fairly, regardless of where their parents obtain learning materials.
Textbooks and other instructional resources are essential to classroom learning, but disputes can arise when schools prescribe particular materials or restrict the channels through which parents may purchase them.
For families already facing financial pressure, compulsory purchases through designated suppliers can raise concerns about affordability, transparency and whether parents are being given reasonable choices.
The allegations also raise questions about the treatment of pupils who may be unable to obtain required materials immediately. Children should not be subjected to humiliation, intimidation or unfair educational disadvantage because of disputes over textbook procurement.
The state government’s intervention signals an effort to enforce education regulations and respond to complaints from parents. However, the allegations against the schools must be assessed through the applicable administrative and legal processes.
The reported court order authorising the sealing of the premises is an important element of the enforcement action, while the schools’ explanations and any subsequent review of the decision will be relevant to establishing the full circumstances.
For education authorities, the wider challenge is to ensure that textbook policies are transparent, affordable and consistently applied across public and private schools.
Parents need clear information about approved learning materials, acceptable purchasing arrangements and the channels available for lodging complaints. Schools, in turn, must understand that administrative requirements do not remove their responsibility to protect pupils’ welfare.
The case is likely to renew discussion about oversight of private schools and the balance between institutional autonomy, education standards and parents’ rights.
The government’s next task will be to ensure that the allegations are resolved fairly and that pupils’ education is not unnecessarily disrupted while the matter is addressed.