The Rivers State Government has vowed to sanction any principal of public or private secondary school who charges above the approved registration fees for the West African Examination Council (WAEC).
The State Commissioner for Education, Dr Tamunosisi Gogo-Jaja, who stated this in Port Harcourt at the weekend said no school should charge more than N15, 000.
Gogo-Jaja warned that principals of public schools that flout the directive of government risk being sacked, while their counterparts in the private schools may have their schools shut down.
He said, “Both public and private schools must collect N15, 000 per candidate. We are aware that some school principals may want to charge above N15, 000. We are also aware that some private schools may also want to charge above N15, 000.
“For such Principals of Public Schools, they risk being relieved of their positions. For owners of private schools, they risk the possibility of the state government withdrawing our registration from them.
“And when we do so (withdrawal of registration), they (the private schools in default) will cease to operate as schools in Rivers State,” the Commissioner stated.
He disclosed that public and private primary and secondary schools in the State are to resume for the second term academic session today, saying it would amount to gross insubordination for any school not to comply with the resumption date.
Gogo-Jaja said, “We expect that all our schools, both public and private will resume on Monday. We also expect that all our teachers will be on duty today.
“For a very long time now our teachers are always at their duty posts as soon as the school resumes. In some cases, we start teaching on the first day of resumption. In other cases, teaching starts on the second day of resumption.”

Dennis Naku