ADVERTISEMENT
The Sun Nigeria
  • Home
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
No Result
View All Result
The Sun Nigeria
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Ley Your Dreams Come Alive – With FCMB Loans
Home Editorial

The fee hike in Unity Schools

16th August 2016
in Editorial
1
The fee hike in  Unity Schools
2
SHARES
95
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The confusion trailing the recent increase in the school fees of Federal Government Colleges is untidy. The National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the schools has kicked against the increase, which it said was from N20,000 to N70,000. The National President of the PTA, Dr. Gabriel Nnaji, described the increase as an untimely and insensitive “commercialization of education” in the country.

He further stressed that the increase, which was put at over 300 percent, is a negation of the principle that informed the establishment of the institutions, which is to make basic and secondary school education affordable and accessible to average Nigerians in all parts of the country. The association appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the members of the National Assembly to compel the Federal Ministry of Education to revert to the old fee regime.
The Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, however, denied any knowledge of the increase in the school fees, while another top official in the Ministry admitted the hike, but argued that it was not up to the 300 per cent claimed by the PTA.  The government should end this confusion by coming out with a definitive statement on the alleged increase in fees.
While the dust raised by the hike in the school fees is yet to settle, the Federal Government was reported to have also banned the collection of development levies by the PTAs of the colleges, which are also known as Unity Schools.
The measure, according to the government, is to alleviate the burden of parents and the students. The Deputy Director (Press and Public Relations) in the Ministry of Education, Ben Bem Goong, said that the ban was with immediate effect. The government also pointed out that no PTA of any Unity College would be allowed to initiate any development project in any of the institutions without the written authorisation of the Federal Ministry of Education.
Adamu was quoted as saying that the new measures were aimed at stopping the PTAs from imposing levies that were sometimes higher than the school fees charged by the Federal Government which established the schools. While expressing its appreciation of the support of the PTAs to the colleges, the government frowned at a situation in which the PTAs constitute themselves into a government within a government in the schools, at the expense of parents.
The discordant tunes trailing the fee hike at Unity schools epitomize the lack of coordination of efforts among the various stakeholders in the Ministry of Education. The nation recently witnessed a similar ugly experience in the university admission process, with conflicting statements emanating from different education agencies.
This development is quite unfortunate and we expect the government to come out with a final say on the school fees. It is surprising that the fees charged in government-owned institutions would be increased without the knowledge and input of the education minister. It is not just enough for the minister to say that he is not aware of the development. His ministry should state exactly what the former fees were and the amount that the students will now be required to pay. If the fees have truly been increased from N20,000 to N70,000, that would be unreasonably high  and should be drastically reduced.
The government’s ban on PTA levies is welcome. But then, the government must accept that the PTAs became an alternate government in the schools because it refused to properly fund them. Many teachers in the schools are employed and paid by their local PTAs, while the associations also undertake big infrastructural projects in some schools to complement the efforts of the Federal Government. The implication of banning the PTAs from collection of levies is that the government should now employ the PTA teachers and meet its other obligations to the schools, which are currently being discharged by their PTAs. This is the only way it can stop the PTAs from running alternate governments and charging arbitrary levies in its schools.
Government should streamline all fees and other payments in Unity Schools. Even if school fees are to be increased, it must be reasonable. Let the government properly fund the schools and provide enough qualified teachers and non-teaching personnel. It is the duty of government to provide   Nigerian children with qualitative education. This, however, should not be done through astronomical increases in school fees of public schools.

 

sunnews

sunnews

Related Posts

36 states drag FG to Supreme Court over Executive Order
Editorial

The rancour in Supreme Court

28th June 2022
Bishop Chukwuma dares govt, holds church service
Editorial

Worsening poverty and looming social unrest

27th June 2022
Primaries: INEC insists on June 3
Editorial

INEC and continuous voter registration

26th June 2022
Next Post
Buhari defends APC, says previous governments ruined Nigerian economy

In defence of the social safety programme

Edo Guber Watch: 20 aspirants jostle for Oshiomhole’s job

The Binis and Edo 2016 election

Double wahala for Buhari

Is CBN really helping the economy?

Comments 1

  1. BONNY says:
    6 years ago

    The other time the president said that Nigeria cannot afford dollar to pay school fees of Nigeria students abroad but what we witnessed this month was government subsidising dollar at the rate of 197 naira to the dollar as against 287 naira for pilgrims. The school fees of unity schools was her ked up from 20000 naira to 70000 naira.It is no joke and not hearsay I personally got a letter to that effect . In fact it is outrageous and unimaginable.I can authoritatively say that this administration is playing with education of Nigerian children.I cannot understand why someone in the ministry of education would say that the fee was not increased by 300%,at what percentage does it stand now?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Highlights

3 die, 2 injured as diesel tanker explodes in Lokoja – FRSC

Aregbesola urges NCoS to track, recapture escaped inmates

Don’t abandon our roads to leave office, Nsukka people beg Buhari

NCFRMI, UNHCR certify Lagos state as refugee-friendly city

Many feared killed as gunmen attack Ebonyi community

Gov Uzodinma’s aide, Nwadike resigns

Trending

Akeredolu assents to bill establishing Ondo Security Trust Fund
National

Akeredolu constitutes Board of Pension Commission

28th June 2022
0

Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has constituted the Board of the State’s Pension Commission. This was...

Tokyo 2020: Okagbare, Nwokocha breeze into 100m semifinals

Okagbare’s further ban disqualifies Nigeria’s 4x100m squad’s qualifying team for World Championships

28th June 2022
No pregnant woman in our custody – EFCC

No pregnant woman in our custody – EFCC

28th June 2022
explosion

3 die, 2 injured as diesel tanker explodes in Lokoja – FRSC

28th June 2022
Kabba Custodial Centre attack: FG says 1 soldier, 1 policeman dead, 2 Correctional Service Officers unaccounted for

Aregbesola urges NCoS to track, recapture escaped inmates

28th June 2022
ADVERTISEMENT

Follow us on social media:

Latest News

  • Akeredolu constitutes Board of Pension Commission
  • Okagbare’s further ban disqualifies Nigeria’s 4x100m squad’s qualifying team for World Championships
  • No pregnant woman in our custody – EFCC
  • 3 die, 2 injured as diesel tanker explodes in Lokoja – FRSC
  • Aregbesola urges NCoS to track, recapture escaped inmates
  • Don’t abandon our roads to leave office, Nsukka people beg Buhari
  • NCFRMI, UNHCR certify Lagos state as refugee-friendly city
  • Many feared killed as gunmen attack Ebonyi community
  • Gov Uzodinma’s aide, Nwadike resigns
  • ‘I don’t want to Die’, Chacha Eke says as she announces end of her 9-yr-old marriage
  • Insecurity: OPC leader, Adams, backs Mattawalle’s directive on self-defence
  • Untold story of CJN’s resignation
  • Marginalisation: Suit against Buhari, AGF, others get Oct 19 date
  • Ekiti guber poll: Detained pregnant woman, others accused of vote-buying slam N100m suit on EFCC
  • 129 lawyers shortlisted for SAN award
  • Army trains 34 on armament, ammunition management
  • Why women should not beg for Vice-President’s post
  • Manufacturers’ industrial capacity reduced to 30% over rising production cost
  • Applause as Lagos is certified refugee-friendly city
  • Osun: Douye, Wike, 124 others lead PDP campaign

Categories

  • Abuja Metro
  • Anambra Watch
  • Arts
  • Broken Tongues
  • Business
  • Business Week
  • Cartoons
  • Citizen Joe
  • Columns
  • Cover
  • Culture
  • Duro Onabule
  • Editorial
  • Education Review
  • Effect
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Events
  • Features
  • Femi Adesina
  • Food & Drinks
  • Frank Talk
  • Funke Egbemode
  • Gallery
  • Global Square by Kenneth Okonkwo
  • Health
  • Insights
  • Kalu Leadership Series
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Letters
  • Lifeline
  • Lifestyle
  • Literary Review
  • Marketing Matters
  • Muiz Banire
  • National
  • News
  • Offside Musings
  • Opinion
  • oriental news
  • Politics
  • Press Release
  • PressClips
  • Public Sphere
  • Ralph Egbu
  • Shola Oshunkeye
  • Sideview
  • South-west Magazine
  • Sponsored Post
  • Sporting Sun
  • Sports
  • Sun Girl
  • Tea Time
  • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
  • The Sun Awards Live
  • The Sun TV
  • Thoughts & Talks
  • Time Out
  • Today's cover
  • Tola Adeniyi
  • Travel
  • Travel & Tourism
  • Trending
  • TSWeekend
  • Turf Game
  • Uncategorized
  • Updates
  • Views from Abroad
  • Voices
  • World
  • World News
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Paper Ad Rate
  • Online Ad Rate
  • The Team
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.

Posting....