Illegal Fees: UBEC To Sanction Schools

Henceforth, all public schools operating under the Universal basic Education Commission (UBEC) still collecting fees and levies from pupils/students would be sanctioned.

The executive secretary of UBEC, Dr Ahmed Modibbo Mohammed gave this hint during the first quarterly meeting of UBEC management with executive chairman of State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBS), last Thursday.

In his opening speech, Dr Mohammed stated that contrary to the provisions of the UBE Act of 2004 that basic education should be compulsory, free and universal.

“Some states are still collecting illegal fees in the Basic Education Sub-Sector under Various guises.”

Emphasising on the illegality of going contrary to the UBEC Act, the UBEC scribe said “no doubt, charging of fees is an excluding factor in basic education because many parents cannot afford to pay these fees.”

He, therefore, directed all such schools still collecting fees/levies to “desist forthwith from charging any form of fees because of the obvious implication for basic education.”

Mohammed stated further that “the attention of SUBEBs is being drawn to the fact that the hon. Minister of Education has directed UBEC to continuously monitor said report on charging of fees at the basic education level in all states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).”

He hinted that amongst other possible sanctions, such schools would be expunged from accessing any federal government scheme on education.

The quarterly meeting, he explained, was to review the activities of the last fiscal year, 2010, with a view to generating ideas on how to improve on performance towards qualitative UBE delivery services in the New Year.

It is also to deal with other issues of interest that could ensure improved performance in basic education delivery in SUBEBs, and schools as well as assess the performance of SUBEBs, appreciate and proffer solutions to challenges and constraints confronting basic education delivery in Nigeria.

Sogbeba Dokubo