….Orders Immediate Refund of Extra Charges…
The Ondo State Ministry of Education has directed the immediate refund of excess charges collected from parents of pupils sitting for the state’s common entrance examination.
This decision follows widespread complaints from parents over a sudden increase in the levy imposed by some school heads.
While the official fee for the common entrance examination is ₦3,000, parents were reportedly asked to pay between ₦18,000 and ₦20,000.
At a meeting held on Thursday at the Ministry of Education, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, met with affected school authorities and other key stakeholders to address the issue.
During the meeting, it was agreed that only the approved ₦3,000 fee should be charged. All additional charges were ordered to be withdrawn from the banks and refunded to parents without delay.
Earlier in the week, parents of pupils in public schools across the state had questioned the justification for the high fees, especially in light of the state government’s repeated assurances that education remains free in Ondo State.
The development sparked controversy, with reports indicating that certain bodies within the education sector had inflated the charges far beyond the approved amount before the situation came to public attention.
The Ministry moved swiftly to contain the matter and prevent possible protests by aggrieved parents.
Sources within the Ministry disclosed that concrete steps have been taken to ensure that affected parents receive refunds of the excess payments within two weeks from the time of publication.
