By HENRY TYOHEMBA, AZA MSUE, NICHOLAS DEKERA, INIOBONG EKPONTA, FEMI OYEWESO and BRAHIM OBANSA
The Federal Government had recently planned to increase the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) registration fee from N27,000 to N50,000, but later suspended it following public outcry.
Some parents and students said the government did not shelve the idea due to public interest, but because of the fear of the fast-approaching 2027 general elections.
They wondered why current politicians who attended school at no cost in their days have now turned schools into money-making ventures.
In Kaduna State, some parents and students expressed concern about the initial plan to increase fees.
The parents who spoke with LEADERSHIP Sunday said the increment would force some final-year secondary school students not to register, given the economic hardship since the government’s withdrawal of the fuel subsidy.
A parent, Tanko Waje, who resides at Sabon Tasha in Chikun local government area of the state, said that with the exorbitant school fees being collected by many schools, the proposed N50,000 SSCE registration fee would cause almost N200,000 per student.
“Even with N21,000 registration fee some schools are collecting more than that hiding under different names and if the government increases the fee again it will render some of us incapable of registering our children,” he said.
A student of Harmony Academy, Kaduna, Joshua Ikem, lamented that if government goes ahead with the plan his parents cannot register three of them to sit for the SSCE. “I am from a humble background, and we are three in SS 2, and if the government implements the proposal, our parents may register only one among us. They are petty traders and on government payroll,” he said.
On his part, a proprietor of one of the schools in Kaduna, who identified himself as Mike Ogbonna, supported the government plan. “If the government decides to increase the SSCE registration fee, I don’t have a problem with that, but let it be reasonable so that parents can afford to pay. Even with the current fee, many parents are not finding it easy to pay for their children,” he said.
Similarly, Education stakeholders in Zamfara State have kicked against the initial plan by the Federal Government to increase the SSCE registration fee from ₦27,000 to ₦50,000, saying if implemented, it will be dangerous for the education system in the country.
Speaking exclusively with LEADERSHIP Sunday, the principal of Government Science Secondary School in Bukuyum LGA of Zamfara State, Mallam Ahmed Mamuda, said, “An increase in SSCE fees by the Federal Government is likely to place a heavy financial burden on parents and discourage many students from registering for the examination.
”Instead of increasing the registration fees, the government should consider reducing them. Lower examination fees would encourage more parents to enroll their children in school and motivate out-of-school children to return to the classroom. This would promote equal access to education and support the goal of Education for All.
Making education more affordable is essential for improving literacy, reducing poverty and building a brighter future for the nation.”
Also, Nasiru Nagwago, the principal of Government Science Secondary School Gusau said, the decision is a clear indication of policy summersault by the government. “We are battling with out- of-school children on one side, and instead of the government building on that, they were contemplating increasing the fees.”
A parent in Zamfara College of Art and Science (ZACAS), Lawali Kabiru who spoke in Hausa said, “The government is insensitive. Most of them went to school under a free education policy, but today they are killing the future generations by ending education for the poor. This seeming suspension of the increase is not because they love the masses; it is because of 2027.”
…NANS, Parents Say WAEC Fee Hike Could Worsen Out-of-School Crisis
On their part, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and some parents warned that any increase in SSCE registration fees could worsen Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis and place an unbearable burden on struggling families.
The students, alongside some parents, spoke in interviews with LEADERSHIP Sunday about the initial proposal to increase the registration fee for examinations conducted by WAEC and NECO to N50,000, although the Federal Government later suspended the proposed increase.
