By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Oyo State Government on Monday, sanctioned some head-teachers in the state for collecting illegal fees as well as denying pupils access to examination halls during the ongoing Public Primary Schools Unified Examination.
The Executive Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Nureni Aderemi Adeniran who made this known while monitoring the exams in Ibadan, disclosed that five Head-teachers of Methodist Basic School, (School 1-5), Gan-gansi were found culpable in the alleged illegal collection of fees, spear headed by the School-Based Management Committee of the school, who chased the pupils home.
Dr Adeniran emphasized that the present administration in Oyo state has abolished collection of any development levy in all schools across the state and that it was wrong for the School authority to be compelling parents to contribute the said fee.
“No doubt SBMCs, PTAs can contribute to the development of their local schools. But, it must not in any way affect the education of pupils. No child should be discriminated against, in the State Education sector”, he said
The Oyo SUBEB Executive Chairman said some parents had reported to the Board that Headteachers of the school denied their children access to Examination hall for failure to pay N100 development levy charged by the School’s management and SBMC, through a popular radio station in Ibadan.
Emphasizing that the present administration, of Governor Seyi Makinde would not fold its arms and allow saboteurs to ridicule its efforts in mandating free education, Dr Adeniran stated that
the ongoing education reforms of the present administration in the State, has yielded huge results that must not be sabotaged.
He then directed that the affected Head-teachers should be given queries to serve as a deterrent to others who may be collecting such illegal fees, saying, ” for
denying Governor Seyi Makinde’s Pupils access to write exams, queries have been issued to Head-teachers of Methodist Basic School, 1-5″.
Directing that all learners should be allowed to sit for exams without any form of hindrance, Dr Adeniran urged Teachers in all public schools in the state to adhere strictly to the State Government’s policies and directives on Education.
Some of the schools visited include, IMG, Ibuko Ibadan South East LGA; Ratibi Muslim school, Molete, South-West; IMG Basic School, Idi-Iroko, Molete.
Islamic Mission School 1, Bode, Ibadan; Methodist Basic School 1-5, Gan-gansi and Community Primary School, Awotunde, Ona-ara LGA and a host of others.
He said the monitoring exercise continues in the course of the week, which will also be extended to other zones of the State, including Ogbomoso, Oyo, Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa.
