Kwara Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development on Friday said that efforts were on to rid the state of illegal and sub-standard private schools. Abubakar Mohammed, Director, Quality Assurance Bureau in the ministry said in Ilorin that the rate at which illegal and substandard private schools were springing up in the state was worrisome.

Mohammed said, ''The Kwara Government is decrying the large number of illegal and substandard private schools operating in the state. We have shut down no fewer than nine of them in recent times for their failure to comply with the set standards on the operation of schools.

''We have discovered that it is all-comers’ business and we are out to sanitise the system to correct the anomalies found.''

He said that the importance of education could not be over emphasised, adding that the ministry would leave no stone unturned in order to sanitise the system in the interest of the students.

''We have discovered that it is an all-comer’ business, and we are out to sanitise the system to correct the anomalies found,'' the director said.

He said that the ministry would continue to embark on inspection of schools, while assuring that there would be no sacred cows.