The Ogun State Teaching Service Commission, TESCOM, has issued a stern warning to principals, vice principals, and teachers in public secondary schools across the state to desist from collecting any unauthorised fees from students.
Chairman of the Commission, Biodun Sanyaolu, gave the warning on Monday while featuring on a television programme in Abeokuta, stating that any school administrator or teacher found guilty of such misconduct would face strict sanctions.
DAILY POST reports that the state government had indefinitely suspended the principals of Ilugun High School, Elega — Mrs. Olukoga Adeyemi Alaba (Junior) and Mrs. Ladipo Olabisi Temitope (Senior) — over the collection of illegal fees, which led to a protest and eventually the death of a student last Tuesday.
The TESCOM chairman stressed that the Abiodun-led administration remains committed to its free education policy, which ensures that students in public schools are not required to pay any fees to access quality education.
He explained that the present administration, as part of its education reform agenda, had made it clear that no learner in public primary or secondary schools should be charged any form of levy.
Sanyaolu maintained that the state government’s agenda on education is centered on delivering qualitative education that would promote academic excellence, adding that any act capable of undermining this effort would not be tolerated.
The TESCOM boss also urged teachers and other school staff to make use of the whistleblower platform to report any unethical practices within the school environment, reiterating the Commission’s commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in the teaching and learning process across the state.
Speaking on the preparedness for the implementation of the new national curriculum recently introduced by the Federal Government, Sanyaolu disclosed that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, TESCOM, and other relevant agencies are working collaboratively to ensure its smooth adoption.
He added that TESCOM had also taken proactive steps to ensure equitable distribution of teachers across secondary schools in the state, noting that the recently engaged Ogun TEACh interns would further strengthen the existing teaching workforce for improved performance.
Meanwhile, he commended school administrators, Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs), and Old Students’ Associations for their continued cooperation with the government, urging them to sustain their joint efforts in promoting discipline among students.
Ogun govt warns against collection of illegal fees in schools