Kwara State Government has warned principals of Senior Secondary Schools across the state against illegal charges for National Examination Council (NECO) registration for prospective students that will write the year 2024 examinations.
The State Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Hajia Sa’adatu Modibbo Kawu, gave the warning during an exercise which marked the commencement of the registration for 2024 Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
The commissioner asserted that the government would not tolerate additional charges from any principal apart from the approved fee for NECO by the ministry.
Kawu cautioned the principals to desist from all acts that could dent the image of the government, noting that violators would face the full wrath of the law.
She also warned them against aiding and abetting examination malpractices, stressing that the present administration had zero tolerance for examination malpractices.
“I want to strongly emphasize 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 to desist from any form of involvement in exam malpractices,” the commissioner said.
Kawu appreciated the unrelenting efforts of the principals in ensuring good working relationships with the state ministry of education to enhance education standards in the state.
According to her, “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.”
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Teaching Service Commission, Mallam Bello Tauheed Abubakar, who was represented by the Director, Personnel, Finance and Supply of the Commission, Alhaji Amuda Mohammed Aliyu, explained that the present administration had done well in improving teachers’ welfare and urged the teachers to reciprocate the governor’s kind gesture.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mrs. Olanrewaju Rebecca Bake, urged the principals to shun all acts that could dent their images before, during, and after the examination.
Earlier, the Director, Curriculum and Assessment of the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mrs. Adewuyi Victoria Funmilayo, gave the breakdown of the approved registration fees for SSCE (NECO) 2024.
She explained that NECO fee is Twenty two thousand two hundred and fifty naira.N22,250:00; registration charges are N1,250:00; administrative charges are two thousand naira N2,000;
Four figure table is five hundred naira. N500:00; waterproof certificate and jacket/folder are five hundred naira and two thousand five hundred nairaN500 and N2500, respectively, with a total payment for NECO per candidate at twenty thousand five hundred naira only. N28,500.00.
In his own remarks, the President of All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools in the State, Comrade Usman Abdullahi, applauded Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for appointing the right people to run the affairs of the education sector in the state.