The authorities of the Rivers state Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB) have restated that the ban on  collection of admission fees into basic education schools in the state is still subsisting  ,and warned principals of junior secondary schools and head teachers of public Prmary schools to take note that such act is illegal and thereby prohibited .
The Executive Chairman of the Board ,Ven Fyneface Akah stated this when he recieved the new  leadership of Association of Head Teachers of Nigeria, Rivers State branch ,Lifeline organisation and Tangerine life insurance company who paid him courtesy visit in his office in Port Harcourt ,over the weekend .
Akah told the Head Teachers that the law establishing the Basic Education in the state prohibits collection of admission fees, saying that such act is an illegality and has no approval from the board .
He warned the heads of primary and principals of  basic secondary schools in the state  to stop the act of collecting admission fees in their various  schools as any one caught would face the discplinary action ,saying that such collection of illegal fees from those admissions in basic education in public schools  negates the policy and principles of free education in the state.
According to him ,Basic education  is free even globally to encourage  parents ,guardiance and care givers to access basic education services within their various clime and send their children to those schools without any  incumberson ,as government take the core four mandate responsibilities  of free education.

“Government  provides  basic infrastructure ,hire teachers ,pay the teachers and as well ,provide instructional learning materials .this doesn’t exclude stakeholders like NGO’s ,philanthropists ,parents ,care givers and guardians from contributing their own quota to ensure the development ,enhancement of teaching and learning of their children and wards and there is no where globally where parents don’t contribute to advance teaching and learning of their children and wards “he stated .

The executive chairman of RSUBEB used the opportunity to call on various stakeholders in the education to contribute their own quota and work with the state government to sustain the development of basic education in the state .

Responding on the issue of inclusive education system in the state ,Akah said the state run integrated inclusive school system for both physical challenge and non challenge students and pupils ,adding that all the special schools in the state are functional

In their various speeches,the state chairperson of Association Heads of Teachers of Nigeria  ,mrs Eucharia Wali ,the founder and Director,lifeline organization ,miss Ngozichuka Obiyo and Tangerine life insurance companies ,mr Hechukweru Assor thanked the chairman for granting them approval for the visist and promised to partiner and support the Board to achieve its mandate.

By: Akujobi Amadi