Wike abolishes primary, secondary school fees in Rivers public schools

- Gov Nyesom Wike has directed state-owned primary and secondary schools in Rivers state to stop collecting fees and levies from pupils and students

- The governor said the directive was intended to create access to quality education

- Wike said his government will not only dismiss school heads who collects fees or levies, but will prosecute them also

- The governor assured parents that his administration was commitment to the provision of quality education and its accessibility to the less privileged

State-owned primary and secondary schools in Rivers have been directed to stop collecting fees and levies from pupils and students with immediate effect.

Governor Nyesom Wike gave the directives on Monday, June 24 during a meeting with the heads of primary and secondary schools, Senior Secondary Schools Board and Universal Basic Education Board at Government House, Port Harcourt, NAN reports.

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Legit.ng gathers that he said that the abolition of all forms of fees and levies in public primary and secondary schools across the state was intended to create access to quality education.

Wike also stated that the state government would be sending direct allocations to all primary and secondary schools management for their operations.

He said “From today henceforth, no child either in primary and secondary schools should pay fees and levies in any school across the state.

“The monies you collect from these children are just used for your personal purposes.

“If I hear that any school head collects any fees or levies, be they examination, NECO or WAEC fees, that school head would be sanctioned.

“We shall not only dismiss the school head who collects fees or levies, we will prosecute the person involved.

“Government will work out grants that will be sent to the schools for their regular management and operations.’’

He directed the Ministry of Education, the Senior Secondary Schools Board and the Universal Basic Education Board to monitor all public schools across the state to ensure full compliance.

The governor also noted that his administration funded the salaries, allowances, examinations and equipment of all public schools.

He assured parents that his administration was commitment to the provision of quality education and its accessibility to the less privileged.

“I have abolished all fees and levies and it will never happen again in our public primary and secondary schools.

“Nobody should collect fees and levies from the children of the less privileged,’’ he said.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa on Monday, June 24, said that his administration had resumed the feeding programme for boarding students in secondary schools across the state.

The governor also announced that parents would no longer pay for school fees as from September 2019.

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Source: Legit.ng