The Government of Kwara State has warned Principals of Senior Secondary Schools across the state against the collection of illegal charges for the National Examination Council registration for prospective students who will be taking the year 2024 examinations.
Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development in the state Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo-Kawu, gave the warning in a floating exercise which marked the beginning of the registration for the year 2024 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination.
According to a statement issued on Monday 26 February 2024 by the Ministry’s Press Secretary Peter Amogbonjaye, and made available to newsmen, the government gave the approved total fee payable for the national examination for 2024 as N28,500 per student with a breakdown to include NECO Fee of N22,250:00; E – registration charges of N1,250:00; Administrative charges – N2,000; Four figure table is N500:00; Waterproof certificate and jacket/folder -N500 and N2500 respectively, with a total payment for NECO per candidate at N28,500.00 only.
The commissioner stressed that the Kwara state government will not tolerate additional charges from any principal aside the approved fee for NECO by the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development.
While calling on the principals to desist from all acts that can blemish the image of the government, Modibbo-Kawu who noted that defaulters would be brought to book, also cautioned them against aiding and abetting examination malpractices, emphasizing that the present administration has zero tolerance for examination malpractices.
The commissioner stated further; “I want to strongly emphasise the importance of maintaining the highest standards of integrity during examinations in the interest of our children and the State. We urge everyone here present and others not here to desist from any form of involvement in exam malpractices.
“I want to appreciate the leadership of principals for the support the Ministry has always enjoyed from you. This is one of the reasons we are making progress as far as our schools are concerned. I also want to commend the principals who have been up and doing, I say kudos to you”.
While soliciting unflinching support from the principals for the AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration, which is committed to the welfare of teachers and the citizens, the Commissioner revealed that the Governor’s continued commitment to enhance the education standards, with the recent payment of reaccreditation fees for all 236 schools that are due for the programme, to the examination body (NECO) as well as subsidised year 2024 BECE fees for about 55,000 JSS 3 students in the State.
On his part, the Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Teaching Service Commission, Mallam Bello Abubakar, who was represented by the Director, Personnel, Finance and Supply of the Commission, Alhaji Amuda Aliyu, lauded Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for the developmental strides in the education sector in Kwara State.
He stated that the present administration had done well in improving teachers’ welfare and appealed to the teachers to replicate the Governor’s kind gesture by remaining committed and dedicated to their statutory duties.
Also speaking, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mrs. Olanrewaju Rebecca charged the principals to shun all acts that can dent their images before, during, and after the examination.
“Shun exam malpractices, be on top of your schools and never handle anything that has to do with the examination with levity. Do not allow anyone, even the parents or government officials, to interfere with the examination processes, no matter how highly placed,” she added.
In a remark, the President of All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools in the State, Comrade Usman Abdullahi, appreciated Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for appointing the right people to run the affairs of the education sector in the State.
While promising to justify the confidence reposed in them by being up and doing in discharging their constitutional duties, Abdullahi thanked the governor for revamping the education sector in the State through the rehabilitation and construction of schools across the three senatorial districts, which is yielding positive results for the whole nation.
