Dr. Yusuf Sununu, the Minister of State for Education, announced that the Federal Government plans to establish a formal negotiation team involving the Parent-Teacher Association and other relevant stakeholders. This team will address the recent surge in tuition fees at schools nationwide.
During a news conference held in Abuja on Friday, in observance of the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, Dr. Sununu highlighted concerns that the increase in school fees may be a significant contributing factor to the various attacks occurring in schools. He emphasized the urgent need to find a resolution to this issue.
Furthermore, Dr. Sununu noted that the Federal Government had taken steps to address this matter. In December 2019, they ratified the Safe School Declaration and developed a safe school policy to safeguard the right to education in emergency situations.
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.”
