Following the protest by school principals and teachers as reported by Radio Nigeria, the Ondo state government has bowed to pressure to review the conditions for the proposed security seminar being organised for schools in the state.
Radio Nigeria had exclusively reported that the state government was organising the seminar with a directive that all private and secondary schools in the state must pay ₦12,000 each for the seminar.
In a circular, the education ministry directed that every secondary school both public and private in the state should provide a principal and two teachers and pay a sum of ₦4,000 each for selected participants.
The principals, teachers and private schools proprietors however rejected the government’s directive, describing it as strange and unacceptable.
It was gathered that the ministry of education has reduced the seminar fee to ₦4,000 per school while participants had been reduced to principals only.
A source in the ministry of education who does not want his name mentioned said though the unions were still insisting that the seminar must be at zero cost, the state government through the state head of service, Mr. John Adeyemo had pleaded for understanding from the principals as the state is not buoyant to sponsor the seminar.
Reacting, the permanent secretary, ministry of education, Mrs Lola Amuda told Radio Nigeria that issues raised on the proposed seminar were being addressed with the aim of resolving them.
Kayode Animasaun