By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

Kwara State Government has warned proprietors of private Coaching Centres across the State to desist forthwith from poaching students from various schools, under the pretext of preparing them for Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) or be ready to face the music.

The Executive Director, Agency for Mass Education, Mallam Saka Yusuf, gave the warning in Ilorin, the State capital, during a meeting with Executive Members of the Association of Private Coaching Centres of Nigeria (ASSOPCON) in his office.

Mallam Saka was particularly miffed that despite all sensitisations and advocacies by the Agency, many coaching centres still fail to comply with government’s regulations, thereby poaching students, particularly from Junior Secondary School 3, Senior Secondary 1, and Senior Secondary 2, pointing out that this could eventually jeopardise the future of the students, if not checked.

He, therefore, warned perpetrators of such acts to desist forthwith or be ready to face the dire consequences of their actions.

“Henceforth, coaching centres should not take students from schools and register them as conventional students. The act is totally in contrast with the provisions of education ordinance in the State. Proprietors are therefore charged to work towards complementing government’s efforts at improving the education standards of Kwara State,” he cautioned.

In his response, the President, Association of Private Coaching Centres of Nigeria (ASSOPCON), and Proprietor Lumex Tutors, Mr. Olumide Agboola, supported the State Government’s stand on sanctioning whoever is guilty of the act, adding that coaching centres caught perpetrating the atrocity should be dealt with according to the dictates of the law.

Also commenting, the Proprietor of Gama Tutors, Mr. Thomas Adebiyi, assured the government that all the coaching centres in the State would strictly comply with the government’s directive on the issue by desisting from such dastardly act, and following the rules and regulations guiding the Association.