Ogun State Government had termed it illegal for any school heads in both Public Primary and Secondary Schools across the State to collect any form of fees, levies or payments, reiterating that its policy has been free education fully sponsored by the government.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Science and Technology, who is also a Commissioner Designate, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu made this known in Abeokuta, during the 2023/2024 Academic Session Pre-Resumption Meeting with Education Stakeholders in the State, saying cost of materials, maintenance and provision of facilities in schools were solely beared by Prince Dapo Abiodun administration.
Prof. Arigbabu said “people should be reminded that the present administration at the inception, cancelled all forms of payment to encourage children to have access to quality standard of education without paying any amount and thereby making it illegal for any school head to collect any kind of levy whatsoever”.
He advised Principals and Headteachers to encourage and promote merits in their various schools, adding that anyone desiring to make a donation to schools or desire to use school facilities for any events, should seek for duly signed approval from the government in order not to distrupt the academic activities in schools.
The Special Adviser also made it known that the government is working on modalities to further enhance the security architecture in schools, urging the school administrators to encourage religious tolerance and avoid anything capable of putting the name of the State for wrong reasons in the news.
Speaking, the Chairman, Ogun State Teaching Service Commission, Evang. Olalekan Ifede enjoined school heads to be punctual at all times, in order to serve as role model for the teaching and non-teaching staffs and for them to be able to monitor their schools well towards attaining required educational standards.
Earlier in her opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Abosede Ogunleye stated that the discussion and decision to be made would engender effective implementation of the government policy on education for further improvement.
In their Goodwill messages, the State Chairmen, All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools and Association of Primary School Headteachers of Nigeria, Mr. Adeyinka Adekoya and Mr. Dauda Sanusi respectively, expressed their appreciation to the Prince Dapo Abiodun administration for the approval and release of the 2021/2022 promotion and payment of peculiar and palliatives to the workforce in the State to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.