••• Parents Accuse Principals, Education Ministry
Parents of students in public secondary schools across Ondo State have accused the Ministry of Education and school principals of imposing illegal levies on candidates preparing for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), despite the state government’s claim of free education from primary to secondary level.
The aggrieved parents aired their grievances on Sunday during a current affairs programme, aired on Fresh FM 102.9, Akure, where several callers lamented what they described as extortion and systemic exploitation by public school authorities.
One of the parents, Mr. Akinniyi from Idanre, disclosed that he had paid a total of ₦36,000 into four different bank accounts as WAEC-related charges for his child, contrary to the widely publicised policy of free education in the state.
According to him, his ward attends St. Joseph’s High School, Idanre, and when he queried the school principal over the high charges, he was allegedly told to withdraw his child if he was dissatisfied.
“As far as I am concerned, there is no free education in Ondo State public schools. The principals and the Ministry of Education are sabotaging the system,” he said.
“I am a parent. I have already paid ₦36,000 for my child preparing to write WAEC. So where is the free education the government is talking about?” he queried.
Another parent, Mr. Adeola, also complained that he paid about ₦35,000 in various levies connected to his child’s WAEC examination at Baptist High School, Akure, despite government assurances that such examinations are free.
Several other parents who called into the programme alleged that they were instructed by school principals to make payments into multiple personal and institutional bank accounts, describing the practice as illegal, opaque, and exploitative.
The callers further accused the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, of remaining silent on the matter over a long period, thereby allowing school principals to allegedly take full control of financial decisions within public schools.
Many of the parents warned that unless urgent steps are taken by the state government to halt the activities of school authorities, the claim that education is free in Ondo State would be seen as false and misleading.
They therefore called on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration to immediately investigate the alleged illegal collections and sanction any school officials found culpable.
Meanwhile, the Press Officer of the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Lawani, responding to enquiries from our correspondent, said the Ministry was not aware of such levies but assured that the allegations would be looked into.
