Benue: Education board orders school to reverse excessive charges

The Benue State Education Quality Assurance and Examinations Board (BEQAEB) has ordered Jewel Model School, Makurdi, to reverse the N106,000 it demanded from parents as registration fees for WAEC and NECO examinations.

Our correspondent reports that the directive followed several petitions from parents, accusing the school of imposing excessive and unjustifiable charges.

The Board subsequently summoned the proprietor, principal, and PTA executives, who were unable to justify the N106,000 levy during the meeting.

Executive Secretary of BEQAEB, Dr. Terna Francis, noted that the officially approved fee for WAEC is N28,000, while NECO has yet to announce its rate for the 2026 examination.

He stressed that schools are only permitted to collect approved fees and may charge not more than N5,000 as handling fees for each examination.

Francis also reiterated that registering candidates for both WAEC and NECO remains optional and should not be made compulsory, adding that any extra charges must be transparently discussed and mutually agreed upon by parents, not imposed unilaterally by school authorities.

He expressed concern over reports that parents at the school were denied avenues to air their opinions, with no PTA meetings reportedly held in two years and the school’s WhatsApp platform allegedly restricting parent comments.

The executive secretary further criticised the practice of using the proprietor’s personal bank account for school and examination fee payments, describing it as a breach of accountability standards that undermines proper auditing.

He directed the Director of Enforcement and Compliance Operations, Rev. Fr. Dr. Terungwa Tor, to monitor the school to ensure immediate compliance with the directive.

Francis warned that any school exploiting parents or imposing unnecessary financial burdens on learners risks losing its operational license, adding that such practices contribute to the growing number of out-of-school children in the state.

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