The Ogun State Government has threatened to sanction any principal that collects fees exceeding the approved N19, 500 for West African Examination Council examinations in secondary schools.
The Punch reported that the state government said the decision to prevent any form of extortion is part of the ongoing reform agenda to improve quality of education while making it easy on the parents.
The chairman, Ogun State Teaching Service Commissions, Evang. Olalekan Ifede made this known to journalists in response to complaints and protests from certain secondary school students that a principal was charging extra fees from them.
Evang. Olalekan made the order that students should not pay more than N19,500 for the May/June 2023 WAEC.
Ifede also requested the principals’ support for the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration, which he claimed is dedicated to the welfare of educators and residents.
Meanwhile, it was reported that the students of Olorunkole Grammar School, Kajola, Owode Obafemi Local Government, allegedly claimed that their school principal collected the sum of N29,000 against the approved WAEC fee.
According to some of the interviewed students by The Punch, the principal, Mrs. Olusola Odunmbaku forced them to pay extra charges to the WAEC fees.
They also said some parents were forced to withdraw their students from the school.
The students then urged the state government to take action before it was too late, claiming that their parents had to make a financial contribution in order to meet the principal’s demands.
However, the principal, Mrs. Olusola Odunmbaku claimed that the amount (N29,000) was the official amount directed by the state government for as the WAEC fees.
In her words, “I have nothing to say about the amount to be collected by the school from the students, but if you need further information and clarification, you are free to approach the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology or better still, you can go to Tescom boss to ask.”
