Delta state government through the Commissioner of Basic and Secondary Education, Chiedu Ebie, has declared all Public Schools within the State tuition-free. Following a viral video on a 7yrs old primary 3 pupil who was sent home in Delta State for not paying school fees, the state authorities have rescinded that the levies imposed on pupils in the school were illegal and has subsequently suspended the head teacher.
Stakeholders within the state have voiced out their observation on payment of school fees by pupils and the suspension of the head teacher.
"My child once told me of exam fees and when I got to the school, the head teacher denied asking for the fee. Even when my daughter pointed out the teacher, she denied it. Since then, they never troubled my daughter and I never paid any such money," he said.
Moreover, the Commissioner of Basic and Secondary Education, Chiedu Ebie said by virtue of the UBE Act, education at the basic level in the state was free and the provision was also extended to senior secondary level.
According to him, a preliminary investigation proved that students in many schools paid exam fees last year and that there was no public school that hasn't imposed illegal fees on students, which includes exam fees, enrollment fees and scratch card money to check results. He said education could not be free in the state because pupils paid for sports and even school badge. However, the vice chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Delta State Council, Comrade Pat Ochei said the head teacher shouldn't have been punished for the illegal school fees collection rather, the education authorities must be held accountable.
A parent in one of the primary schools in Asaba, the Delta State capital said, "After paying N10,000, I also paid N500 as lesson fees and N100 for consumables. I don't know what they mean by consumables. I paid another N150 for test and they are now asking us to pay N400 for a report card.
"Government says it offers free education in public schools, but what we are seeing now is a different thing." Commenting on illegal fees, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Schools, Mr. Ebie, stated that a circular on fees and levies was issued in September 2018 to all basic and secondary schools across the state, listing government approved levies.
"The approved levy for the schools is N100 and N750 for sportswear per term. Beside these, the government does not approve the collection of examination fees or imposed books on students. But as you know in every system, there are people that are deviant.
"Any school head doing this is doing so in defiance of the government order and should be reported to the ministry for appropriate sanctions. We have sanctioned school heads and CIEs; some were demoted, others were withdrawn from urban to rural areas, while CIEs have been recalled from their duty posts," Ebie revealed.
Ebie noted that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa's administration has paid more attention to improving quality at 1,145 public primary schools, 465 secondary schools and six technical colleges. It has also established 46 primary and secondary schools across the state, especially in difficult terrains.