Four school principals were suspended by the governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, for defying the state’s “free education policy” and refusing to follow it.
Nnaemeka Egwuonwu, the state Ministry of Education’s public relations officer, revealed this in a press release on Tuesday.
According to Egwuonwu, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, the Commissioner for Education, announced the punishment.
Soludo resigned the principal of four schools for violating the Anambra State Government’s solution-free education policy, according to the statement.
“The principals of Kenneth Dike Secondary School located in Awka, Onwurah Catherine; secondly Washington Memorial Grammar School sited in Onitsha, Nkem Nkechi; Dr. Cordelia Okonkwo of New Era Secondary School also in Onitsha and lastly Amaka Ubaka of Prince Memorial High School in Onitsha were accused of going against the state’s new policy about free education.
Education commissioner, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, announced the resignation of the principals.
A committee has been established, according to the Commissioner, to look into the actions of the principals in question. She said that the Principals will be prompted to return unnecessary fees collected from students if proven responsible.
“It is surprising that the Principals could still be accused of violating the policy after continuous notifications on the new free education policy by Mr. the Governor.”
During his visits to Premier Primary School Odume Obosi followed by Ado Girls Secondary School Onitsha, Soludo said that no child from early childhood education and development up to junior secondary school is required to pay any fees at all. This is in accordance with the solution-free education policy.
No Senior Secondary student should have to pay more than N5,000, but the governor expanded on this rule when he met with principals and headteachers on Saturday at the International Conference Centre in Awka.