THOUSANDS of students in public schools in Osun were on Monday sent home over failure to pay school fees of N7,710 for the second term, which began in January 2018, Nigerian Tribune authoritatively gathered.
A large number of students, whose parents have not paid their fees were directed by their respective school’s management to vacate the premises of the school with immediate effect.
Sources informed our correspondent that the order to prevent such students from partaking in any form of academic activity commenced last week and it continued on Monday morning as many of the defaulting pupils were spotted roaming the streets of Osogbo, the state capital around 11.15 am.
Some of the affected students from Osogbo Government High School, Baptist High School, Ataoja Government High School, Salvation Army Middle School, Osogbo, among others, who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune urged the state government to be considerate and give their parents more time to pay their fees.
One of the students, identified as Segun Adegoke, who is in Grade 10 (SS1) stated that he was owing N7,710 for the second term, explaining that the fees excluded N1,000 lesson fees per term and evidence of tax payment from his parent.
When contacted, Osun State Commissioner for Education, Mr Kola Young, who spoke during a telephone chat with the Nigerian Tribune said he needed to read the text message forwarded to him before he could respond on the issue, adding that he was holding a meeting
The text message reads, “school fees are not paid in any Osun public, elementary, middle or high school. So, no student in Osun schools can or should be sent home for any school fees. Students, however, have been directed to show evidence of payment by their parents of taxes and Education Trust Levies. We all know that everywhere in the world, successful economies depend on the payment of taxes by their productive citizens.”
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