By: Enobong Ukpong
INTRODUCTION
This fascinating article is based on the comprehensive guide in setting up a school in Nigeria. This will be discussed in eleven segments.
The first describes how to identify the type of school, the second talks about finding a suitable location, the third point talks about researching, understanding regulations and registering with education authorities The fourth is on the Financial Strength, the fifth explain the type of curriculum that you should consider using, the sixth is about the quality of teachers that you need, seventh is the Fees to charge, eighth is about the Staff Salary, ninth is on the management level, the tenth point talks about support staff and security, while the eleventh discusses developing policies and procedures.
How to set up a school in Nigeria with a comprehensive guide shows that setting up a school is very interesting and a rewarding venture that requires a well-map-out plan, a significant investment, and a strong commitment to education. Whether you are aiming to establish a pre-school, primary, secondary, or a higher institution, the steps remain largely similar, though specific requirements may vary based on location, type of school, and policy. Therefore this article is a guide to help you navigate the process of establishing a school in Nigeria with direct focus on the high/secondary School.
Following this comprehensive guide carefully will save any intended individual, organization or government the stress of pondering on the necessary information and relevant steps involved in establishing a standard school anytime.
This article addresses also, principals, senior members of school staff, teachers, individuals, parents, organization, government and policy makers and aims to open up the reader’s awareness to the well-mapped out plan in setting up a school in Nigeria.
1. IDENTIFY THE TYPE OF SCHOOL
First of all you need to decide on the type of school you want to set up. For this purpose I will focus on the secondary/high school.
This Provides education for students aged 12-18. Although now a days children jump classes so in some cases we find kids below this age bracket of 12-18. Here you are looking beyond the elementary school where the children are hoping to begin a new face of academic process.
As the elementary which is the basic is very important in a child’s education, so is this new phase “high school” which is the core foundation that will set the pace for their journey into higher institutions of learning when they have completed the six years of JSS1-SS3. It requires a well structural planning in setting up this educational institution. One need not to make an impending mistake to avoid regrets.
Highschool gives you the awareness that you are not dealing with babies rather children that have already left the kindergarten, nursery and primary school. This children are not so fragile to handle as it is the case with the little ones in primary so your intentions are distinct.
By identifying this type of school which is “highschool” you have identified a problem which you want to solve, meeting the standard and the need of the parents coming for enrollment singles you out as a solution provider as far as their children’s needs academically is met.
Provide in your school the things not found in other schools even if there are schools close by. Have in your mind that you are already in a competition, therefore try to stay on top of the game over those in the business with you, this makes your services more attractive.
Ensure that you bring in what is also trending in terms of infrastructure as this will be discussed going forward. Let the type of school that you are about to set up bring a sigh of relief to the locality where you want to establish it. Don’t forget type of service that you want to provide must carry a brand of what it should be known for and anything short of that can be viewed as disservice.
After considering to set up this type of school, you will need to understand the regulations governing the establishment of schools.
2. FIND A SUITABLE LOCATION
The location of your school is very critical to its success. Therefore, You should consider:
ACCESSIBILITY: The school should be easily accessible to students and parents. Consider proximity to public transport, main roads, and residential areas. You can also make provision for school Bus shuttling and this can also be another avenue to make money, and there must be thoughtful consideration.
SPACE: Ensure that the location is large enough to accommodate classrooms, playgrounds, staff rooms, and other facilities for the well-being of everyone coming in.
ZONING LAWS: Make sure the land or building you choose complies with local zoning regulations for educational institutions.
SAFETY: The area should be safe, secure, and conducive for learning. Avoid noisy or industrial areas. The building used must be carefully assessed to avoid disaster, i.e collapse of buildings.
3. RESEARCH AND UNDERSTAND REGULATIONS (REGISTER WITH EDUCATION AUTHORITIES)
Each country, state, or locality has its own regulations and laws governing the establishment of schools. It is critical to apply for the necessary licenses and permits from the Ministry or Department of Education by this, you have obtain approval to avoid a clampdown from the government.
They often have guidelines on the minimum requirements for curriculum, facilities, and staff. Compliance with Health and Safety Standards. Schools must meet health, safety, and building codes to ensure the well-being of students and staff. Regular inspections might be required.
ACCREDITATION: Seek accreditation for your school to ensure that it meets educational standards. Accreditation is also important for students transferring to other institutions or applying for higher education.
4. FINANCIAL STRENGTH
Infrastructure:
Let your facility be topnotch considering the fact that there are already existing schools and structures, therefore to come up with something befitting and attractive, plan a well structured facilities that is not common elsewhere. In this world of innovation and technology transfer, don’t dwell in the conventional settings, rather bring in new and hybrid facilities.
FUNDING: BUDGETING AND FINANCIAL PLANNING
Outline your budget, including the cost of land, construction, staffing, marketing, and other operational expenses by this you have categorize your funding on the project, also if you want to start with renting a structure for the school before building your own structure in the future, you must consider well structured building that will represent the type of school that you want to set up, having in mind a ‘standard school’.
Identify potential sources of funding, such as personal savings, loans, investors, or grants. Sometimes if you have a network of friends who can as well contribute financially, this can also be carried into plan, they are all incorporated into strategical planning.
If I May want explain a bit further here, there are people who have a good network of friends that are wealthy and often go out to help their friends when embarking on projects. So if you know that you are in this class then you can solicit for assistance from them.
Building Design:
Adequate and a proper design pattern. The initial design of the school environment shouldn’t be too expensive but considered the best. Ensure that you don’t waste the land when allocating blocks, walkways football field, positioning and arrangement of the sport facilities.
Materials: Go for building materials that will not fade, source for durable materials and never compromise for safety and attraction. Consider the landmass, class rooms, offices, Assembly Hall, restroom 🚻 security house, building construction, sports center and facilities. Think about ventilation for classes, offices etc. Make sure that you use professionals in your building 🏢. In considering advanced building you include restroom in each of the classrooms properly structured. Also have space for future expansion.
Resources:
Resources here refers to something that you will use to achieve your objectives, be it raw materials or personnel. You need to make use of the best resources.
When picking your manpower, ensure that they all fulfill some certain requirement as their input would also determine the output, that is the needed results as far as academics and administration is concerned.
Logistics:
Logistics comprises various aspects, (operations)
The process of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, effective flow of services and related information from their point of origin to point of consumption, i.e for the purpose of satisfying customer requirements which is the parents and scholars in regards to this article.
This also includes the procurement, supply, maintenance, and transportation of equipment, facilities, and personnel.
Logistics is a very crucial aspect when rendering services it controls your organization because it takes care of planning, implementing, and controlling the efficient, effective flow, services and related information. School Bus for school runs should be provided in your school to shuttle different routes in conveying students to and fro. From my knowledge, this is another avenue to generate money even on monthly basis.
CLASSROOM SUPPLIES: Textbooks, desks, chairs, boards, and other essential classroom materials.
Technology: Computers, projectors, internet access, and smart boards to support a modern learning environment.
Teaching Aids: This is to further the progress of teaching and learning.
Students receive instruction in the arts and sciences.
Instruction will be provided on how to handle or understand better the lessons that is being taught by the teachers to simplify the learning process. These teaching Aides are numerous, e.g, video, textbooks, etc. Ensure your school has the necessary teaching Aides, equipment, resources and facilities to provide quality education.
Laboratories:
Science labs. Physics, Biology, Agric and intro technology labs should be provided and well equipped as they are essential for high schools.
Libraries:
The library should be fully equipped with textbooks, relevant books 📚 materials with current information and ensure that the resource materials are up to date. The library must be structured with space for student’s comfort and satisfaction.
ICT Labs:
The ICT lab should be stocked with a good number of computers as this is very crucial in today’s world of innovation and technology. This will propagate the idea of keeping with the advancement of technology transfer for secondary school students and staff. This will also promote effectively the online learning process as it has become popular in today’s world 🌍 read more on my article “Online Learning Platforms: Creating New Trends In Education”.
Read more on: Online Learning Platforms: creating New Trends In Education.
5. CURRICULUM:
DESIGN THE SCHOOL’S CURRICULUM
Your school’s curriculum will depend on the type of school you are setting up. You may decide to follow the national curriculum, international standards, or a specialized educational program.
When designing your curriculum: You can also as a matter of strategy bring in foreign curriculum to Carter for the needs of those who would prefer to school outside the country. Doing this can even attract foreign partnership.
Don’t forget that you are also going into competition with other schools already existing so the need to provide a hybrid curriculum.
CORE SUBJECTS: Ensure a strong focus on subjects such as Mathematics and further mathematics, English, Science and Arts.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Provide options for sports, music, art, and other extracurricular activities that contribute to students’ holistic development. Not forgetting school clubs as they are very important. It is more than just a place where children of various age groups spend time with each other, learning and honing their talents. A good school club can help students receive insights from their peers, seniors, club advisers, and teachers.
Gain fresh perspectives about various ideas and skills. Let me bring more insight to clubs establishment in schools. As someone who has been in the academic process as a teacher in highschool, having taught JSS1 down to SS3, I have been opportune to serve as the coordinator of Press Club known as “Merilebon Academy MBA PRESS TEAM” a school In Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria.
I have had the opportunity to teach the students on media and journalism. At different times we have taken the students to practicalize on field by attending events organized by the State Government and the students had the opportunity to interview personalities such as “Her Excellency the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State Senator Akon Eyakenyi during the Independence Day celebration of Nigeria at the Ibom hall grounds, including the Commissioner for Information Comrade Ini-ememobong, permanent secretary Trade and Investment Mr Oliver Udokpo, the Superintendent of police and public Relations Officer Akwa Ibom State Commission Mr Odico Macdon. Former BBnaija housemate Elozonam Ogbolu, Akwa Ibom State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Sunny James, the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Transport, Hon. orman Esin. ‘on Air personality’/Journalist with Comfort 95.1 FM Uyo, Miss Ifiok-Abasi Okop and many others. Of course the videos are on the web and social media platforms.
TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION: Incorporate technology into the learning process to keep up with modern educational trends, such as e-learning and digital resources. All of these should make up your curriculum.
SPORTS AND GAMES:
THE BENEFITS OF SPORTS, INCLUDING FOOTBALL, IN SCHOOLS
Introducing sports like football when setting up a school offers numerous benefits. Sports promote physical fitness, which enhances students’ health and stamina. They instill discipline, teamwork, and leadership skills, vital for personal development. Football, in particular, helps build mutual trust and friendship among students and creates opportunities for talent discovery and career development.
Additionally, sports encourage active participation in school activities, boosting morale and fostering a well-rounded education. Schools with strong sports programs are also likely to attract more students, enhancing the institution’s reputation and creating a vibrant community.
6. STAFF (TEACHERS)
HIRE QUALIFIED STAFF
Your staff is the backbone of your school, and hiring the right team is crucial, by setting a standard . This includes:
TEACHERS: Hire qualified and experienced teachers who are passionate about education and must align with your school’s vision , mission and core values. Consider their ability to engage students and make learning exciting. Advancing from the manual or conventional way of writing lesson note by teachers, it can further be enhanced with the introduction of lesson note prepared with the use of computers.
By using computer to type note of lesson, this will be help your tutors to have some relevant information while Surfing the Internet. Also soft copies of materials and notes of lessons would be preserved in the cloud. This is certainly my on-hands experience as a tutor.
7. TUITION FEES STRUCTURE:
Determine how much you will charge for tuition. Consider factors such as the community’s income levels, running costs, and competition from other schools.
8. STAFF SALARY:
Do not neglect their welfare, this is very important because anyone contributing his or her input in your school is expecting returns else they will always aspire for a better place and you might be loosing potential and productive teachers. Always review their take-home pay.
9. MANAGEMENT
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF: You will need administrators to handle day-to-day operations such as admissions, finances, and maintenance.
10. SUPPORT STAFF AND SECURITY:
These may include cleaners, security personnel, and maintenance staff to ensure the smooth running of the school.
11. DEVELOP POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Create a framework for the smooth running of your school. This includes;
ADMISSIONS POLICY: Define the criteria for enrolling students.
Disciplinary Procedures: Keyword Discipline. Establish a clear code of conduct and procedures for dealing with disciplinary issues, this comes as the school rules and regulations. Streamline all the do’s and don’t.
HEALTH AND SAFETY PROCEDURES: Put in place emergency plans, fire drills, and first aid protocols.
Fee Collection Process: Have a transparent process for fee collection and accounting.
MARKET YOUR SCHOOL
To attract students, you’ll need to implement an effective marketing strategy. This can involve:
CREATING A WEBSITE: A professional website showcasing your school’s facilities, curriculum, and admissions process is essential.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and Twitter to reach out to parents and share updates.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Organize open days, workshops, or events where parents can visit the school and meet the staff.
LAUNCH AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Once everything is in place, you can officially open your school. However, running a successful school involves continuous improvement. Regularly assess the quality of education, student progress, and operational efficiency. Engage with parents and the community to address concerns and make necessary adjustments to maintain a high standard of education.
After kick-starting, on the long-run you could be faced with certain demands such as the need for boarding facilities and you will do well to provide it because this alone could have impact on greater number of parents coming in to enroll their wards. From experience I can say that some parents do find themselves in situations where they are so busy with work and career paths, hence, why they can not really do school-runs and shuttling. They would prefer their kids to stay in school hostel i.e ”dormitory”, and not having this facilities can also be the reason for parents to pull out their wards from your school.
CONCLUSION
Setting up a school is a complex yet fulfilling endeavor that requires dedication, planning, and a commitment to quality education.
By following these steps and continuously striving for excellence, you can create an institution that positively impacts students and the broader community for years to come.
