Kemi Adeosun
The federal government has banned the collection of development levies by Parent Teacher Association, PTA in Unity schools across the country. The ban, which is contained in a statement signed by Mr. Bem Goong, deputy director, education ministry, is meant to lessen the suffering of parents. “No PTA of any unity college is allowed to initiate any development project in any unity colleges without the express or written authorization of the federal ministry of education,” Goong says adding, “ The new measures are aimed at arresting the shocking trend where development levies imposed on parents by PTAs are becoming higher than the school fees charged by government which established the unity schools.” The ministry also quotes Mallam Adamu Adamu, minister of education as saying, “I acknowledge the complementary roles played by parents and the support provided by the PTA to the colleges but I will not allow the PTAs to constitute themselves into a government within a government at the level of unity schools and at the expense of parents.’’ Adamu expressed concern that PTAs in unity colleges had formed themselves into national associations and added that running additional organisations such as National Parents and Teachers Association of Federal Government Colleges (NAPTAFEGC), increased the burden on parents. The new directive came on the heels of concerns by NAPTAFEGC which recently rejected an alleged 300 percent increase in school fees of unity schools. Gabriel Nnaji, National President of NAPTAFEGC, had told newsmen that the alleged increase from N20, 000 to N75, 000, was unacceptable to parents. He argued that an average parent with more than a child in unity schools would not be able to afford the cost. Adamu, however, denied knowledge of the increment in fees.
By Charity Godwin
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