The National Association of Parents and Teachers of Federal Government Colleges, an affiliate body of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), has alleged that unity schools charge indiscriminate fees.
National Association of Parents and Teachers of Federal Government Colleges North Central Zonal Coordinator Ehis Ogbeide told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja that parents of wards were complaining about the fees.
He alleged further that consistent increase in fees had defeated the objective of setting up unity schools.
“Gradually and consistently, the fees of Federal Government Colleges are being increased; and parents have been very careful not to raise an eyebrow.
“From class levy of N200 to N500, to hostel levy of N500; to ICT of N2, 000 to extra lessons of N2, 000 to N1, 000 for checking of portal.
“You will be amazed to know how many millions of naira are realised from these fees; and these are not part of the school fees,’’ he said.
He said that when Treasury Single Account (TSA) was introduced, all the principals complained because the fund they had to work with had been kept in the account.
Ogbeide said that school principals called on the PTA to come to their rescue following the introduction of TSA.
“Children are in boarding house and they must be fed; could they have been left to stay in hunger pending the clearance of TSA fund?
“ We as parents cannot leave our children in that kind of misfortune. We fence schools because our children are exposed to danger; the schools are in disarray and the structures are obsolete,’’ he said.
But the Federal Ministry of Education recently said it would hold a meeting to address the issues bordering on fees in unity schools and their development.(NAN)