Parents fault cancellation of PTA levy in Unity Schools

Parents Teachers Association of Federal Government Colleges in the South West region of the country has faulted government cancellation of PTA development levy. It said this would lead to the sack of about 1,000 teaching and non-teaching staff it employed due to shortage of teachers in the unity schools.

Rising from an emergency meeting in Ibadan yesterday, the association appealed to government to rescind its decision, citing the admirable efforts it has made to improve in the performance of students in the West African School Certificate Examination (WAEC).

Zonal Coordinator, Adebayo Olayide and Secretary, Ahmed Olutope, who spoke on behalf of the group, urged the government to have a rethink because the directive would be counter-productive.

The group also said it does not support the recent increase in the school fees of unity schools as this will be at variance with the free education policy of the Federal Government.

“We are disturbed at the conflicting utterances of Federal Ministry of Education officials on the purported hike in school fees of unity schools.”

They explained that the money collected as PTA levy is used to engage and pay teaching and non teaching staff, in addition to providing scholarship scheme for indigent students.

“The levy is also used as intervention in the repair and replacement of decaying infrastructural facilities.”

The parents appealed to the Minister of Education to have a rethink on this position.

The association cautioned that government’s insistence on its position would have adverse effects on the voluntary and communal developmental efforts in the Federal Government colleges in areas of academic performance and infrastructural development.

They said if government does not rescind its directive on the PTA development levy, the association may be constrained to dispense with the staff on its payroll, stop on-going PTA projects and provision of essential voluntary services valued at N1.5 billion.

The association also revealed that about 500 students are benefiting from the PTA welfare scheme.