…. Threaten legal action
By Daniel Tyokua
Barely one week of schools resumption for the second term academic session, parents whose children are in Ausphine School, Kugbo campus are stranded over permanent closure of the school without reason by the management.
The aggrieved parents, said prior to the resumption of Schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on January 6, 2025, Ausphine School with registration number 925474, sent a message to them on January 2nd, titled, ‘Permanent closure of Ausphine School, Kugbo campus’ without adequate notice and refund of their fees and other charges, making them confused on where to take their children to.
Parents said, they had late December, 2024 in a brief meeting called by one Kelvin who introduced himself as a coordinator, disagreed with the school decision to give them short notice of closure and demanded for adequate notice of not less than one full session.
They also sought proper welfare of the school children for their transition to the new school, and staff adequate compensation.
One of the parents, Gloria Jonadad lamented that she paid for books and pairs of uniform for a complete year, but expressed shock that after the end of first term in December, 2024, the proprietor closed down the place without adequate information.
She said,”I am shock that after paying for complete books and other charges that cover both second and third term academic session, the school has shut down without adequate notice.
“It is strange to me, where can I carry my children to? She asked. Few days to schools resumption on January 6, proprietor of Ausphine sent us message of permanent closure on January 2nd” Gloria said.
Another parent, Titus Agundu through a letter of complaint by his lawyer Emeka Ezeganya, demanded for adequate compensation and welfare of the school pupils/ children due to the short notice for the school permanent closure.
They said the National Minimum Standards and Establishments of institutions Act provides that; parents should be given adequate and proper notice of not shorter than a full session, the school need to ensure that student and pupils are transferred to another school or provided with alternative educational arrangements.
The complaint read in part, “We received with shock your message titled, ‘permanent closure of Ausphine School, Kugbo campus’ amidst resumption on 6th January, 2025, short notice, leaving parents stranded and confused.
“Ausphine School with registration number 925474 has breached the existing contract between them and the parents by given inadequate notice to patients of their school of permanent closure.
“We are demanding for the refund of the first term school fees including expenses for books and uniforms to all the parents”
According to the parents, closure of the school is a deliberate refusal and neglect to follow the proper procedures provided by the extant laws that governed school.
The parents, who threatened to take legal action if the right steps are not taken, urged the Federal Capital Territory Education Secretariat through the Department of Quality Assurance to look into the matter and ascertain the criteria used in approving the school.
They also asked the department to always do due diligence before giving approval or allowing a school to operate in the Federal Capital Territory.
However, the director FCT Department of Quality Assurance, Mrs. Hajarat Alanyade didn’t respond to a message sent to her as at the time of filling the report.
When contacted for comment, the proprietor, Augustine Omokhuale Anetor, said his lawyer was handling the issue.
” I received the letter from parents from the school but my lawyer is handing the matter” Anetor said.
