The Kaduna State Government said on Monday that primary and junior secondary school education across the 23 local government areas of the state was free and compulsory.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs Phoebe Yayi-Suka, reiterated the government’s policy in an interview with our correspondent in Kaduna.
She, therefore, warned teachers and administrators of public primary and junior secondary schools against collecting levies from parents before the enrolment of their children are enrolled in the state.
The Permanent Secretary, who was reacting to allegations by some parents that they were being forced to pay unspecified sums of money for enrolment, told The PUNCH that basic education in the state remained free and compulsory especially for the girl-child.
She said it was an offence to collect money from any child in the guise of levies, saying that the ministry had started investigating allegations that schools were collecting money from parents before enrolling their children in school.
She said, “I am surprised to hear that school are demanding money before enrolling pupils from parents because I know that public primary and junior secondary school, is free and compulsory, especially for the girl – child.
“No teacher, head teacher or any school administrator should collect any amount of money from parents under any guise before enrolling a child.
“We will investigate this (allegations that teachers demand money) and sanction anyone found committing such gruesome offense, which is counterproductive to the Nasir el-Rufai led-administration’s effort to provide quality education to children in the state.”
