The Cross River State Government has sealed 14 schools in Calabar South Local Government Area for operating without the required Approval to Operate, ATO.
The enforcement exercise was carried out by the State Ministry of Education through its Quality Assurance Department as part of efforts to sanitise the education sector and ensure that schools across the state operate within approved standards.
Commissioner for Education, Professor Stephen Odey, said the continued enforcement was necessary to safeguard learners and ensure that only schools that meet government requirements are allowed to operate.
He urged proprietors of unapproved schools to regularise their institutions by obtaining the necessary approval, stressing that compliance with established regulations is essential to maintaining standards in the education sector.
Odey also warned that any school sealed by government and reopened without authorisation would face appropriate sanctions.
The Commissioner said the enforcement would continue across the state's 18 Local Government Areas, until unapproved schools are identified and brought into compliance.
He stressed that the exercise is not simply about shutting down schools, but about creating an education system where children can learn in safe, properly regulated and conducive environments.
