By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Anambra State Universal Basic Education (ASUBEB), on Wednesday, announced demotion of six primary school Headteachers for collection of burial levies, toilet tissues papers fees and others from pupils.
The Chairman, ASUBEB, Dr Vera Nkiru Nwadinobi, who disclosed this at a press conference held in Awka, explained that the defaulted Headteachers had equally been ask to refund all monies collected from learners (pupils), handover to the next ranking officers and stepdown from their positions.
The affected Headteachers were Mrs Uju Okoye of Awada Primary School 1, Mrs Eunice Nwanneka Nwafor from Awada Primary School 2, Mrs Obioma Patience Nwakaku of Awada Primary School 3, Mrs Ekene Elizabeth Aniwetalu of Awada Primary School 4, Mrs Gloria Nkolika Odionu from Awada Primary School 5, and Mrs Chinwe Augustine Muluako of Awada Primary School 6.
According to Nwadinobi, the Headteachers acts amounts to sabotaging the efforts of the State governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo's free education policy.
Soludo had announced free education for primary and secondary schools, including payment of imprest and running cost of extra ₦50,000 to school heads for smooth running of schools and provision of requisite teaching tools such as markers, chalks, exams fees and portals.
"I must inform you that the reports we got from the investigation team are amazingly alarming and disturbing. For instance, it was gathered that the Headquarters charged fees for extra lesson to all the pupils, ink fillers for markers, blue pens and red pens.
"The Headteachers allegedly got the PTA to agree that every learner will be paying the sum of ₦200 for the cleaning of the school toilets. The ₦50,000 monthly running cost and imprest was supposed to cover this. Other items for which fees were allegedly paid for include: compiled questions and answers for verbal and quantitative subjects.
"Others were certain novels, lesson fees, send-forth for retiring or transferred teachers, burial levy, common entrance exam fees above the official approved amount of ₦2,900, exam portal and passport photos which was against the directive of the board. Other items for which fees were allegedly charged include; forms for learners, scratch cards, fees for marking of present at PTA meetings and a certain sum for absenteeism. There were also fees charged for tissue papers and soap among others," she noted.
Nwadinobi also recalled that two teachers from Awka North Council Area were last week demoted from their positions and stepped down by the Board as a result of negligence to duty and corrupt leadership.
She, however, stressed that henceforth they would adopt more stringent disciplinary measures in punishing teachers or school heads found not to be complying to governor Soludo's free and compulsory education.
"We cannot continue to condone such irresponsible conduct by any teacher or School head to extort money from parents and guardians who are the ultimate beneficiaries of free education and zero levies policy by the solution Government. We will not just demote but recommend outright dismissal from service for any headteacher or principal who goes contrary to the free education policy," she added.