The Commissioner for Education Science and Technology Mr Femi Agagu has warned school administrators to limit themselves to government-approved collectables or face serious sanctions from the government.
The Commissioner gave the warning in a statutory meeting of education stakeholders held at the Ministry of Education Science and Technology conference room in Akure
Agagu said the meeting was called following reports that some Headteachers and school Principals were collecting illegal levies as well as selling some items to pupils/students before they were allowed to stay in classes.
The Commissioner said the state government still operate free education and therefore will not allow any school Head to extort parents noting that it is wrong to send students away from school for not paying levies initiated by PTA
Speaking on the large population of students in classes especially during this Covid-19 Agagu said efforts were on to readjust the subjects time table to ensure students are not too many in the classes so as to comply with COVID-19 guidelines.
The Commissioner used the forum to advise all stakeholder like PTA, ANCOPPSS, NUT, ASSUS, NAPTS as well as students to rise up to challenges facing the sector noting that if they do, the system will work well for all
Also speaking the permanent Secretary Ministry of Education Rev.Akin Asaniyan said the government is doing a lot to improve the education sector and therefore it is not expected of any school administrator to sabotage the government effort through the collection of illegal levies.
Asaniyan said monitoring team would be set up jointly by the stakeholders to ensure compliance with government directives on approved collectables.
In their separate speeches the state ANCOPPSS president Mr Johnbull Mebawondu and the P.T.A chairman chief Abimbola Omoloja said if any school Administrator is caught collecting levies outside collectables, such school Administrator should be sanctioned.
Other issues discussed at the meeting include discipline in schools, COVID 19 compliance in schools, roles of stakeholders in the education sector as well as teaching and learning processes in schools.
The stakeholders meeting was attended by Permanent Secretary Board for Adult Technical and Vocational Education (BATVE) Dr Mrs Arinola Akinsete, Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) Mrs Fumilayo Ajayi, State Universal Basic Education ( SUBEB) Mr Kayode Ogundele, Director in the ministry, State executives NUT, ANCOPSS, ASSUS, PTA, Association of primary school Head Teachers and other Stakeholders.
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