FCTA threatens to sanction schools over third term fees

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has threatened to impose sanctions on any private school that goes ahead to collect third term school fees from pupils and students.

The FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, while announcing the reopening of schools last week, canceled third term and cautioned against collecting fees for the lost term.

Speaking while inspecting resumption of students in some secondary schools in the territory, Chairman, FCT Secondary Education Board (SEB), Yahaya Mohammed, said the Administration is emphatic on the issue of third term school fees and would not hesitate to come down hard on either private schools or any head of public school that collects the fees.

“FCT Administration is very emphatic that this is first term resumption, so no private or public school should collect third term fees.

Those that violate the rule will certainly be sanctioned,” he said.

Mohammed who said he was satisfied with the adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols in the schools visited, added that populous schools would be divided into morning and evening sessions so as to ensure social distancing protocol is observed and the lives of students are not put at risk.

He reiterated that the number of students per class should be between 25 and 35 depending on the size of the class and infrastructure available for use.

“Number of students in the class at the schools should be between 25 and 35, but where there are larger number of students, we have mandated the teachers to make provision for two sessions, morning and afternoon sessions, this will be the situation till when we are comfortable for schools to go back to normal” he said.

The chairman Secondary Education Board, SEB, called on parents and guardians to corporate with school heads and the teachers in complying with the laid down safety measures.

The schools visited include Government Girls’ Secretary School, Dutsen Alhaji, Junior Secondary School, Dutse-Sagwari and Government Day Secondary School, Dutsen-Alhaji.