Edo Tightens Health, Safety Standards In Private Schools

…..EDOHERMA, DEQA partner on compliance
…..Parents get feedback platform to report unsafe school conditions

By Bloomshire Nigeria 

The Edo State Government has intensified efforts to improve health, safety and regulatory compliance in private schools through a partnership between the Edo Healthcare Regulation and Monitoring Agency (EDOHERMA) and the Directorate of Education Quality and Accountability (DEQA).

The initiative, unveiled during a two-day stakeholders’ engagement with private school proprietors in Benin City, is aimed at strengthening school health standards, child safety, environmental hygiene and sustainable management of private educational institutions across the state.

The engagement, held at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA), also focused on conflict management, school security, financial planning and regulatory compliance.

Speaking at the event, EDOHERMA Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Adesuwa Urhoghide-Edigin, said the collaboration was designed to ensure healthier and safer learning environments for school children.

She said schools accommodate one of the largest concentrations of children, making the protection of their health and well-being a shared responsibility.

According to her, integrating health regulation into school management would improve learning outcomes, reduce absenteeism arising from preventable illnesses and provide safer physical environments for pupils.

Dr. Urhoghide-Edigin explained that EDOHERMA’s Public Health Monitoring Department is empowered by law to inspect and monitor schools, hospitality facilities, public places, mass gatherings and other locations where public health standards must be maintained.

She announced that the agency had strengthened its public feedback mechanism to enable parents, teachers and members of the public to report poor hygiene, unsafe conditions and other public health concerns directly to the agency for prompt intervention.

The CEO also disclosed that EDOHERMA would deploy an online verification platform to enable the public confirm compliance with approved health standards by health facilities, services and public places across the state.

Director-General of DEQA, Dr. Amen Ogbemudia, said the initiative reflected Governor Monday Okpebholo’s commitment to raising standards in both public and private schools.

She described the engagement as a collaborative exercise aimed at supporting private school proprietors to improve governance, financial sustainability and regulatory compliance rather than a fault-finding mission.

According to her, strengthening private schools would expand access to quality education, create employment opportunities and contribute to the overall growth of the education sector.

Dr. Ogbemudia added that recommendations from the engagement would guide future professional development programmes for teachers, noting that the quality of any education system depends largely on the quality of its teachers.

Participants at the workshop commended the collaboration between the two agencies, describing it as a proactive step towards improving health standards, accountability and the quality of education in Edo State.