Civil Liberties Organization CLO Anambra State Branch has lauded Governor Charles Soludo for listening to the cries and predicament of students and parents over escalating cost of education in view of hardships necessitated by fuel subsidy removal by abolishing school fees and levies.
This is contained in a press statement issued to newsmen endorsed by Evangelist Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme Chairman and Comrade Chidi Mbah Secretary respectively tagged”educate the children of the poor they will come out of poverty”.
It will be recall that CLO had earlier appeal to Gov.Soludo to wade into exploitation of parents and students by schools authorities in the state.It is disheartening that missionary schools charges outrageous school fees thereby defeating the good intentions of government in handing over schools to missionary.
It is incredible but existential reality that most mission schools charges between #250,000 to #400,000 to new students and JSS3 students entering SSS in the same school yet government pays salaries of teachers.For the policy to have wider positive effects, mission schools government handed over to churches should be inclusive as government uses tax payers money to pay teachers and staff of these mission schools.
The aims of government will be relentless efforts without effect if Mission schools and private schools are not call to order and gives operational guidelines.
Pertinently Gov.Soludo should constitutes Monitoring Committee to ensure strict adherence to his direct as some school heads will still disobeys the government directive.
His Excellency should also take step further by directing schools authorities to stop extorting and exploiting students and parents as they demand outrageous items like big dettol, detergents, toiletries,brooms, Cutlass etc while returning from school or they school pay fees ranging from #5000 to #7000 depending on the headteacher or principal.
We thanks his Excellency and appeal to him to ensure in words,deeds and actions judicious and transparent implementations of this laudable, education protection and life saving policy.
CLO equally alert Gov Soludo that from Holy Trinity Onitsha to Nkwelle Ezunaka to Nsugbe there is no government schools in those axis except Oyolu Primary School and Community Secondary School Nkwelle.We reiterates our earlier appeal to governor Soludo to establish Primary and Secondary Schools in those axis as some parents living in the area cannot afford exorbitant school fees by private schools.
