Dr. Yusuf Sununu, the Minister of State for Education, has announced the Federal Government’s intention to establish an official negotiation panel that will facilitate discussions between the Parent-Teacher Association and other pertinent stakeholders concerning the recent surge in tuition fees within schools nationwide.
During a press conference held in Abuja to mark the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, the minister addressed the issue of rising school fees. He expressed concern that these fee hikes could potentially be a significant factor contributing to the various security incidents occurring in educational institutions. He emphasized the urgent necessity to seek a resolution to this issue.
Dr. Sununu also highlighted that the Federal Government had formally endorsed the Safe School Declaration in December 2019 and formulated a comprehensive safe school policy. These measures were put in place to safeguard the right to education, particularly in situations of emergency.
He said, “So many areas that require finances are being attacked but we must also look at the constitutional provisions. The constitution expressly states free education but with a caveat, ‘when government can afford’ and that is why it also comes as voluntary contributions by all stakeholders. When we say safety in schools, it is a collective responsibility. So, we are going to encourage formal negotiations.
“Where we cannot provide, it is to encourage PTA and relevant institutions so that we can agree to a term that is acceptable to all of us. Also, we will encourage a lot of partnerships as part of areas that can bring peace. Whether we agree or not, we must appreciate the role of PTAs in sustaining services in lots of our schools at both local and federal levels.
“So, while we do that with scarce resources at the ministry level, we try to see how we can block leakages and see how more funds can be available to schools to ensure that quality education is affordable, acceptable to every Nigerian without decreasing the quality of education.”
