Abiodun Declares Education Free In Ogun State, To Restor Running Cost For School Headteachers, Principals

By Raymond Osho

ABEOKUTA: Payment of N3,700 education levy in both Primary and Secondary Schools across the State has been suspended.

The State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun who decried the public outcry generated by the fee, said his administration did not introduce it as it was a proposal by Parents Teachers Association which was accepted and implemented by the previous administration.

Prince Abiodun said this on Friday September 20, 2019 at a day stakeholders forum with the theme, “Repositioning Education for Outstanding Performance”, held at the June 12 Cultural Center, Kuto, Abeokuta.

The fee was an initiative of the Parents Teachers Association.(PTA) which was approved under the last administration.

Abiodun stressed that he was suspending it to make good his promise of free, universal and qualitative education in Public Primary and Secondary Schools in the State.

His words: “I have been criticized in the media about the N3,700 PTA 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,” he assured,” he added.

Prince Abiodun who described the condition of schools in the State as pathetic, also announced the restoration of the running cost for all primary school head teachers and principals of secondary schools.

He stressed that his administration had embarked on the rehabilitation of 236 Primary and Secondary Schools in the State, just as some of the non-functional model schools would be converted to TechHUB, technical and vocational centres.
The Governor said emphasis would be on training and retraining of teachers to enable them meet new challenges of developments in the teaching profession.

Meanwhile, the Governor had commended the students that 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, pledging that the state government would offer them access to the State’s tech hub, give a laptop computer and a cash donation to each of the students.

Earlier in her remarks, the Special Adviser, Primary, Secondary and Technical Education, Mrs. Ronke Soyombo, noted that education is the only legacy that could be given to the young generation, adding that raising the bar of education in the state was a major priority of the state government.