FOUR Principals of secondary schools in Anambra State have been suspended by the state Ministry of Education for allegedly flouting of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s new policy on education that has abolished levies in Primary and Junior Secondary Schools in the state.
The affected Principals are those of Washington Memorial Grammar School Onitsha, Kenneth Dike Secondary School, Awka, New Era Secondary School Onitsha and Prince Memorial High School, Onitsha.
A statement by the Public Relations Officer in the state Ministry of Education, Nnaemeka Egwuonwu, said the sanction was announced by the Commissioner for Education Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh.
According to him, the principals were alleged to have acted in contravention of the Soludo Solution policy on free education in the state
Egwuonwu said the Commissioner has constituted a committee to investigate the activities of the affected principals, warning that if found culpable, the principals would be made to refund the amount collected.
“It is surprising that after series of announcements on the Solution Free Education policy by Mr Governor, the Principals could still be alleged to have flouted the policy”, the Commissioner said.
Recall that Governor Soludo had, during his recent visit to some schools in the state, announced that in line with the Solution Free Education policy, no child from early childhood education and development up to Junior Secondary School (JSS 3), is required to pay any fee whatsoever.
The governor also said that no student in the Senior Secondary should pay anything more than N5,000 for running cost, adding that the money should not be paid into government coffers.
The new policy was further amplified by the governor during a meeting he had with Principals and Head teachers in Awka on 23rd September.
