Jubilation as FG reduces unity schools’ charges from N83,000 to N49,500

- FG has approved the establishment of a Secondary Education Commission to supervise secondary education in the country

- Professor Anthony Anwukah, minister of state for education, said President Buhari recently gave approval for the commission

- Anwukah also said the federal government has reviewed downwards the charges in Unity Colleges from N83,000 to N49,500

The federal government has approved the establishment of a Secondary Education Commission to oversee the operations of secondary schools in the country.

Professor Anthony Anwukah, minister of state for education, who made the disclosure in Abuja on Tuesday, May 21, at a valedictory news conference, said President Muhammadu Buhari recently gave approval to the establishment of the commission, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

He also said that the federal government has reviewed downwards the charges in Unity Colleges from N83,000 to N49,500.

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The minister said the government had pegged PTA levy at N5,000 across the board, thereby ending arbitrary charges of N75,000, which nearly inhibited access to unity colleges.

According to Anwukah, unity schools in Nigeria will remain as long as the Buhari administration is in power.

‘‘Having taken this position, we embarked upon the rehabilitation of unity colleges in all the ramifications required.

“The Buhari administration had spent a total of seven billion naira on the provision of security infrastructure in the last four years.

‘‘Against the backdrop of insecurity in the northeast, affected by ‘Boko Haram’ as well as incidents of kidnapping in parts of the country, the federal government decided to provide basic security facilities in all unity schools,’’ he said.

On the development of infrastructure, Anwukah said that the government had embarked on the construction and rehabilitation of classrooms, hostels, laboratories among others.

‘‘In spite of the economic down turn, we have done well in terms of investment in capital expenditure.

‘‘In terms of improving funding for the education sector, I am optimistic that the federal government will expeditiously look into the recommendations we have made in that respect,’’ he said.

The minister emphasised that if education could be adequately funded, the country would be able to compete with the world in the area of global knowledge.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that President Buhari on Saturday, March 23, vowed to make education affordable to all Nigerians, adding that challenges of insecurity being witnessed in the country were as a result of ignorance.

President Buhari made this promise when the authorities of the National Open University of Nigeria graduated about 20,799 students with a total of 103 of them bagging First Class honours.

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Source: Legit