The Kwara State Government will sanction any school principal that collects above the approved National Examination Council, NECO, fees by the State Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development.

It added that no principal should admit external students during this year’s registration exercise for the examination

The state Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Hajia Saadatu Modibbo Kawu, said this as the state government formally flagged off registration for this year’s NECO in the state.

This, according to the commissioner, “is part of ongoing reform agenda to curb all exorbitant charges on external examinations by some principals in the state.”

At the flag-off of the exercise at St. Anthony Secondary School Ilorin, she gave the breakdown of the approved registration fees and other charges for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (NECO) 2022/ 2023.

According to her, NECO fees will attract N17,800.00, E-registration N1,050, administrative charge to school N1,100, and four-figure table N500.00.

Each school must pay a total of N5,200 for a photo album, syllabus and waterproof certificate folder/jacket.

Kawu said the total amount to be paid for the NECO examination per candidate is N22,450 only.

The commissioner asserted that the ministry would not tolerate any indiscriminate charges from any principal apart from the fees approved by the Ministry of Education And Human Capital Development.

The Director, Curriculum and Assessment of the Ministry, Hajia Folashade Raji, directed that all payments be made directly to Kwara Internal Revenue Service, KWIRS.

Speaking at the event, the President of All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools, ANCOPSS, Comrade Usman Abdullahi, and the Chairman of Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, Kwara State Chapter, Comrade Bashir Oyewo, commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his unwavering support in redeeming the education system in the state and solicited the cash backing of promotion arrears of Kwara State Teaching Service Teachers and SUBEB staff.

They appealed to the governor to consider the appointment of teachers as Permanent Secretaries in the state and also put an end to salary disparity between TESCOM staff and SUBEB staff in the state.

They promised, on behalf of all principals and teachers in the state, their commitment to enhanced productivity.