Ekiti to sanction head teachers for illegal fees collection

Gbenga Sodeinde, Ado-Ekiti

Chairman of the Ekiti state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Prof. Francisca Aladejana has warned head teachers against the collection of illegal fees from pupils in public primary schools in the state.

The chairman who issued the warning during a meeting with the SUBEB management held with head teachers of public primary schools in the 16 local government areas, said that any teacher caught sending pupils away from school on account of the non-payment of fees would be severely sanctioned.

He said that it is a gross violation of the Universal Basic Education Act for pupils to be charged fees no matter under what guise.

Prof. Aladejana explained that Governor Fayemi’s administration is concerned about the poor learning facilities and is working assiduously to provide pupils and teachers with furniture, toilet facilities, perimeter fencing and new buildings among others in order to give basic education a boost in the state.

The SUBEB chairman urged teachers to redouble their efforts in the task of providing qualitative basic education to pupils, noting that apart from giving the welfare of teachers topmost priority, Gov. Fayemi recently approved the payment of running grants for the entire three terms of the 2018/ 2019 academic session to all public schools in the state.

Aladejana therefore, enjoined teachers to key into the various reforms that were ongoing in the basic education sector in the state, including the issue of training and retraining, introduction of child friendly initiatives and modern teaching techniques.

While reiterating that education remains one of the pillars of the Fayemi led administration, the chairman noted that the support and cooperation of all critical stakeholders in the sector were required by government in its quest to return the state to its pride of place in the field of education.

She warned staff of the local government education authorities, head teachers and other stakeholders against demanding for gratification from the contractors handling school projects, adding that the present administration in the state has zero tolerance for corruption and sharp practices.

Responding, one of the head teachers, Femi Ojo thanked the SUBEB board chairman for the meeting and promised to get his staff informed of the state government’s policies and plans for the basic education sub-sector.

“No reasonable individual would want to circumvent and be a clog in the wheel of progress of what the state government is doing in basic education,’’ he said.