Kano private schools reject 25 per cent third term fees cuts

A joint committee of private and voluntary schools associations in Kano has rejected the order to effect 25 per cent reduction in third term school fees in the state.

The group also dissociated itself from a purported comment attributed to one of the associations of private schools proprietors who claimed to have accepted the 25 per cent cut.

Kano State Ministry of Education last week directed owners of private schools to henceforth reduce the third term fees by 25 per cent.

The ministry claimed the decision became pertinent in order to ease the effects of the harsh economic reality.

The joint committee, however, worried over the media propaganda deployed by the government on the compulsory implementation of the reduction despite the demand for further clarification and justification of the 25 per cent discount requested by the proprietors.

The joint committee is made up of the leadership of the Association of Model Islamic Schools (AMIS), National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) and Independent School Proprietors Association Kano (ISPAK).

A statement jointly signed by leaders of the three associations, Engr Basheer Adamu Aliyu (AMIS), Alh Muhammad Mallam Adamu (NAPPS) and Mrs Fatima CAN Bello (ISPAK), wondered why private schools’ owners would be compelled to bear the brunt of the economic hardship when their members were never considered for any financial assistance or palliatives either from the state or Federal Government throughout the seven months lockdown.

According to the statement, “Unfortunately, the Ministry of Education, Kano State made a press release that government will not reverse back (sic) on its decision of cancelling the 3rd Term if majority of the proprietors refuse to comply with the directives of the fees reduction.

“As we were meeting on the issue, we were bombarded by another announcement purportedly from the Ministry, claiming that Proprietors have agreed to 25% discount of school fees. We note with concern, the unilateral action by representatives of APSON, who until yesterday were with us in all our meetings and decisions.

“However, we wish to observe that Haj. Maryam Magaji, the National Vice President of APSON is an employee of the government under SUBEB. In the same vein, Murtala Hussain, the State Vice-Chairman is an Assistant Director with the Kano State Private and Voluntary Institutions Board. It is therefore surprising that employees of the Ministry of Education are coming out to speak on behalf of Proprietors of Private Schools.

“While noting the huge negative impact of the 7-months shutdown and reiterating that any cancellation will only worsen an already bad situation; if there is an overriding public interest, we are ready to cooperate with and support the government,” the association said.