A headmaster in Delta, Mr Larry Okeleke, has been ordered to refund within seven days the N233,800 he allegedly collected from his pupils without any authorisation.
The order is contained in a statement issued on Thursday in Asaba by Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education in the state.
Okeleke is the headmaster of Owessei Primary School, Utagba-Ogbe in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of the state.
Muoboghare said Okeleke’s action was a clear disregard of the directive by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education concerning all forms of illegal collection of levies from pupils.
He commended the State Universal Basic Education Board for removing Okeleke as head of the school, adding that he would still face a disciplinary committee for further sanction.
The commissioner warned other school heads to desist from imposing illegal levies on their pupils and threatened that the ministry would deal decisively with offenders.
Meanwhile, the commissioner has advised private schools in the state to include manual labour in their curricula.
He said that it was wrong for private schools in the state not to expose their pupils and students to any form of manual labour.
“The practice is a negation of total education for the child.
“Parents who will not allow their children to engage in manual labour should have a rethink,’’ the commissioner said.
Muoboghare said also that more unauthorised private schools operating in the state would soon be closed down.
