By Chiangi Avese, Makurdi
The Director General, Benue State Education Quality Assurance Agency, Dr Terna Francis has directed all secondary schools in the state to forthwith refrain from unapproved increments in fees, warning that punitive measures will be taken against any school that forces or had forced students to pay fees for all three terms at once.
The DG further pointed out that, “any school that collects more than N5,000 as a service charge for WAEC and NECO would face sanctions”.
The directive is a consequence of the protest at Excel Grace Academy, Akaajime in Gboko on Tuesday by SS3 students who were barred by the school’s authority from sitting for examinations on the pretext that they had not paid their third-term school fees.
Dr. Terna Francis said, “the agency will not allow school proprietors’ sharp practices to jeopardize the efforts of the state government to reduce unnecessary burdens on parents be in vain. On no account should Proprietors/Principals of Private and Public Schools, respectively, insist on the payment of three terms’ school fees at the beginning of the session or any point; whether for examination classes or any other classes at all”.
“The administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia is making efforts to put smiles on the faces of Benue state residents and would not tolerate any action that will jeopardize such efforts and place unnecessary burden on parents who are already overwhelmed with so many other responsibilities”, the DG pointed out.
He said that all Basic and Post-Basic Schools in the state must constitute Parents-Teachers Association (PTAs) and School Based Management Committees (SBMCs) before the end of this term. Adding that all schools must stick to the approved rate of N5,000 handling charges for WAEC and NECO, respectively.
He further warned proprietors of private schools against arbitrary increases in school fees, pointing out that they must write to the DG, Benue State Education Quality Assurance Agency, stating reasons for the increase, attaching also, minutes of PTA meetings where the said decision was arrived at.
Dr Francis advised proprietors of various institutions, and stakeholders in the education sector to avail themselves of the periodic meetings the Agency will be organizing to enlighten them on government policies in the sector.
The authorities of Excel Grace Academy, Akaajime Gboko, had arbitrarily demanded for, and collected two term fees at the beginning of the 2023/2024 session, and asked the students of the examination class to pay school fees ahead of the 3rd Term as well as N75,000 for WAEC & NECO.
The AUTHORITY learnt that, the Inability to meet with the school’s ignoble conditionalities by the students resulted to the authorities of the school closing the gates against the in indigent students. The protest was out of frustrations.
