Plateau: Association decries outrageous charges for SSCE by school owners

The Plateau Chapter of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), has decried the huge charges for Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE), by some school owners in the state.

The association described the increase by school owners in the West African Senior Certificate Examination( WASSCE) and the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination(SSCE) fees as outrageous and a burden to many parents.

Chairman of the association in the state, Mr Solomon Musa, raised the concern in an interview on Saturday in Jos.

He said that private school owners should consider the hardship many parents were currently experiencing and be considerate in the amount they add as extra charges for SSCE.

“Private school owners usually pay levies of N350 per child per term before you get your clearance from the Area office and for WAEC, we pay N100 per candidate.

“If you add up this money you must increase something on the fees if not it would affect the main registration,” he explained.

He, however, said that such charges was not an excuse for outrageous increment, and suggested that schools should add about N2,000 to the official N18,000 fee.

The Association’s Chairman expressed worry that some school owners were taking advantage of the examination to exploit parents of their lean resources saying “We are rendering social services and not running businesses.”

He said the association could only play advisory role to school owners as the decision mostly lies with  them to determine the fees.

Musa urged parents to interrogate such developments as silence meant consent.

He sympathised with parents who were struggling in such situation, saying many parents have called him to raise such concerns.

Musa reiterated the association’s position against exam malpractices in private schools, where it reports such cases to Ministry of Education to withdraw licence of defaulters.