The Kogi State Government has vowed to sanction secondary school principals or head teachers of public primary schools who sabotage its free education policy.
The government position was made known by the state Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones.
Mr Jones gave the warning on Monday at the 2024 Children’s Day celebration held at Muhammad Buhari Square, Lokoja.
Mr Jones emphasised that public schools remained tuition free, saying “any principal or head teacher who smuggles fees into the system does so at his or her peril.”
The commissioner warned that erring officials would be severely punished and advised parents and students to report erring officials to the authorities.
He stressed that the government had prioritised education and given the needed attention to its functional growth.
Mr Jones maintained that since the assumption of office of the immediate past and present administrations, education had been at the front burner of its thematic areas of concentration.
He noted that the administration had successfully enacted education law which exempted students and pupils from payment of both internal and external examinations.
He added that the examinations covered include WAEC, NECO, NABTEB, JAMB, BECE and others and advised parents and students to report any infraction from their schools.
“No student is allowed to pay fees in any guise. Both internal examinations and public examinations are free. I call on parents and students to report any erring principals: we are resolute to punish them accordingly,” he said.
He added that in line with the philosophy to guarantee qualitative education, government had approved 30 per cent of budgetary allocation to the sector, “far above the UNESCO recommended 26 per cent.”
According to him, the education trajectory of the administration surpassed previous governments before 2016, with the investment restoring confidence in the public schools in the state.
He said that for proper planning, the free fees are targeted at public schools for now.
“Private schools will be considered in the future, he said.
Mr Jones advised students to justify the investment outlay on them by taking their studies seriously, even as extracurricular activities could be an added advantage.
