Segun Ayinde, Abeokuta
As schools in Ogun State resume for another academic session, the State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun has ordered the suspension of N3,700 Parents Teachers Association levy in both public primary and secondary school across the state.
Abiodun, who made this known at a day stakeholders forum held at the June 12 Cultural Center, Kuto, Abeokuta, with the theme” Repositioning Education for Outstanding Performance,” debunked the rumour making rounds that his administration introduced the fee.
According to the governor, his government did not introduce the N3,700 fee as it was a proposal by the Parents Teachers Association which was accepted and implemented by the previous administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, saying that such initiative negate the free education policy of his government.
Abiodun, who lamented that his administration had been criticised by both print and electronic media on the P.T.A fee, noted that the suspension of the levy was to keep his promise on free, universal and qualitative education in public primary and secondary schools in the state.
He said, “I have been criticized in the media about the N3,700 P.T.A fee. I did not introduce the fee. It was proposed by the PTA and accepted by the previous administration. The fee negate the free education policy of this administration. It is like payment through the back door. I hereby suspend the payment in all our schools. We will also look into the issue of Principal and Headmaster Generals.”
The governor, however described the conditions of state owned public and primary schools in the state as pathetic, maintaining that his administration would grant the schools the financial strength to run their day-to-day activities.
The governor, who announced the restoration of the running cost for all primary school head teachers and principals of secondary schools, said that his government would convert some non-functional model schools in the state to technology and vocational centers, Tech hub.
While reiterating his administration’s commitment to rehabilitate 236 public primary and secondary schools across the state, he said that his government would also focus on training and retraining of teachers to enable them meet new challenges of developments in the teaching profession.
The governor, however appreciated the students who represented the state at the 2019 Science Teachers Association of Nigeria, Competition, Spelling Bee National quiz and Project competition, and the Mathematical Association of Nigeria competition, saying that the state government would give them cash donations, laptop computers and access to the state tech hub.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mr Olu-Ola Aikulola thanked Abiodun for being a teacher friendly governor and repositioning the education sector in the state.
