Education

How Schools Hike WAEC, NECO Fees, Deny Poor Students Opportunities

Published

2 years ago

August 26, 2022

Pelumi Abraham was looking gloomy as she stood beside her mistress in a hairdressing salon, handing her attachments while the mistress plaited a client’s hair.

She looked tired and lost, said nothing, nor contributed to the discussions going on in the saloon.

When she was asked if she was fine, she answered in the affirmative, but her mistress cut her short, saying, “the girl is angry because she was not able to complete her senior secondary school, as her parents could not register her for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE).”

When the customer asked her how much the registration was, Pelumi responded that it was N40,000.

“My parents said there is no money to register me for WAEC and the school insisted that we must register both NECO and WAEC together. So they said I should wait until they are able to raise money, then they will register me with the next set,” she said.

She said: “I was forced to go and learn hairdressing and my greatest regret is that my mates will be ahead of me and I am not sure if my parents will be able to register me next year because then my younger sister will also be due to write senior secondary school leaving examination.”

Pelumi is not the only one who has lost out on completing her studies due to the inability of parents to pay examination fees. Many students are found in this category, while some parents have become debtors just so their wards can write WAEC.

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However, the registration of WAEC and NECO should not have been a big deal if school managements stuck to the original fees of N13,950; an amount that WAEC has been charging for the registration of each candidate since as far back as 2017. It is only recently that the examination body raised the amount to N18,000 due to prevailing inflation in the country.

The Head, Nigeria National Office, WAEC, Mr Patrick Areghan, while visiting its marking centre recently, said there had been a marginal increase of WAEC fees because of the country’s spiralling inflation.

“There has to be that marginal increase to enable us to do better services. The examiners are now happy as we are able to increase their marking fees through this marginal increase. The money actually went for the payments of examiners to enable us to satisfy them so that they can do the job better,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, Daily Trust has gathered that secondary schools charge between N40,000 to N100,000 to register a single candidate for WAEC while others charge the same amount or above for both WAEC and NECO.

A parent, Maryam Julius, said she paid N40,000 in a public school to register her daughter for WAEC.

She said: “It took me a lot before I could raise that amount because this is aside from the school fee and other levies. In fact I was among the last parents to pay because I remember I was told that I would pay an additional fee for late registration.”

A candidate who gave his name as Emmanuel said he paid N100,000 to register for WAEC in a private school.

“My parents insisted I write my exam in a private school because they felt I would do better there and the school insisted on that and this is aside from the school fees.”

For Kenneth Azuh, he paid N240,000 for his two kids in a private school in Gwarimpa, Abuja, to register them for both the examination and JAMB.

“I was very disturbed when I read in the newspaper recently that WAEC registration has just been increased from N13,950 to N18,000. I understood that the actual amount has been low and affordable, which means schools are ripping off us,” he said.

Kenneth blames the authorities for not doing their job properly, saying, “if we are a country that is serious, they should have been able to put measures in place to ensure that schools charge uniform amounts. Even if they had to add administrative charges, it should not be more than N10,000.”

A source close to the WAEC who does not want her name mentioned, said as far back as 2019, a parent complained that the school his children attended in Lagos charged N200,000 to register them for only WAEC.

She said in 2021, a relation of hers wanted to register in a school and she was told that they had closed registration and that she had to pay N40,000 as late entry fee aside N100,000 for registration.

“That was happening when WAEC was yet to commence registration. We were still preparing yet some schools had finished registration and were collecting late entry fees,” she said.

“They are ripping parents off and by so doing, many students could not register because of the hiked fee yet the Ministry of Education is not doing anything about it,” she lamented.

Reacting, the chairman a private School in Abuja, Yussuff Oriyomi, said they charge N70,000 for both WAEC and NECO and that they have no plan to increase it even with the slight increment from WAEC.

He said the N70,000 was for the examinations and associated administrative expenses and that they were actually subsidizing as other schools charged N100, 000 and above.

“For the supervisors, we send school buses to go and pick them up and to return them. Sometimes we will have to book a Bolt cab to pick them up if the school bus is not available. And there are instances where we didn’t go to pick them up, they come late and the students become apprehensive. When they come, we have to give them food as well,” he said.

He said those are some of the extra costs, adding that “the whole process of going to the WAEC office to regularize your registration, uploading the passport photos of students and a whole lot of back and forth that are involved, are part of the administrative expenses.”

“We charge N70,000, some charge N100,000 but it’s for both exams. So if NECO is N18,000, WAEC is N18,000 is that not N36,000 already; and you are paying N70,000. The balance is N34,000 and it’s from that we do data uploads, buy internet. Almost every year they keep changing the software that we use, and we buy the software,” he said.

Oriyomi said the WAEC office is in Gwagwalada and sometimes the exam officer has to go to the office up to 10 times before they finish the registration, adding that their processes were very slow. “Sometimes I’m scared that we may even be spending more than the money we collected from them.”

Reacting, the HNO of WAEC, Areghan said the council only charges N18, 000 for its examinations, whether public or private school.

“We have no hand in extra charges. Nothing more than N18,000 comes to WAEC.

We do not know anything about their providing logistics to supervisors. We pay supervisors for doing the job.”

“Their attempt to justify their illegal charges is laughable. Registration is online. Once you collect your registration materials, you can do your registration anywhere. I do not understand what they mean by “going to WAEC to register is time consuming,” he added.

He noted that it is the duty of the various Ministries of Education to check the excesses of schools in this regard and that parent should complain to their states’ Ministries of Education since schools are under them and not under WAEC.

When contacted, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Bem Ben Goong, said students who are in school registering for WAEC pay exactly what WAEC is charging, possibly with a small administrative fee attached to it, which is understandable.

He however refuted claims that private schools are charging higher amounts even for their own students.

He said, “No, that’s not true. If you have evidence, of anyone that has paid that amount, give it to me; we’re not ghosts. Give us verifiable evidence and we will confront that school.

The Nation

Education

Two ex-VCs, JAMB registrar to attend Prof. Ibraheem UNILAG inaugural lecture Wed

Published

1 week ago

December 15, 2024

Trends Admin

Two ex-VCs, JAMB registrar to attend Prof. Ibraheem UNILAG historic inaugural lecture Wed

History beckons as Mass Comm alumnus delivers inaugural lecture Wed

History will be made this week Wednesday December 18, 2024 at University of Lagos when an alumnus of the university’s Mass Communication Department, Ismail Adegboyega Ibrahim, professor of journalism and communication studies, will deliver inaugural lecture as a lecturer of the department.

Ibraheem, a 1990 graduate of the university, returned to the institution in 2011 as a lecturer.

It is the first time a former student of the department will be delivering an inaugural lecture 58 years after its establishment.

Ibraheem, director of International Relations, Partnerships and Prospects at the UNILAG, will speak on “Casino Journalism and the End of History.”

The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, will chair the event, according to a statement from the institution.

Two former vice-chancellors of the university, Professor Rahamon Bello and Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, are expected to grace the lecture along with the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Oloyede, among others.

The lecture is scheduled for 4pm at the J.F. Ade. Ajayi Auditorium, UNILAG, Akoka.

Members of the University Community and general public are invited to join the lecture physically or virtually via Zoom Meeting ID:862 1255 2361.

Education

Austria offers scholarship grant for int’l postgraduate, research students

Published

2 weeks ago

December 12, 2024

Trends Admin

Austria offers scholarship grant for int’l postgraduate, research students

The Republic of Austria is offering an opportunity for international postgraduate students, PhD candidates, and postdoctoral researchers through the Ernst Mach Scholarship 2025.

Managed by OeAD-GmbH, Austria’s agency for education, this scholarship aims to support talented individuals in advancing their academic and research careers in Austria.

Details of the scholarship program

According to OeAD, the Ernst Mach Scholarship is open to students and researchers from various academic disciplines. This includes areas such as;

Natural sciences
Technical sciences
Human medicine
Health Sciences
Agricultural sciences
Social sciences
Humanities, and arts.

The scholarship provides funding for semester or one-year grants, with research grants lasting from one to nine months, making it accessible to a broad range of applicants.

Benefits of the Ernst Mach scholarship

The scholarship offers numerous benefits to successful applicants.

Recipients will receive a monthly stipend of €1,300 for the duration of their stay in Austria.
Accommodation assistance is available, with affordable housing options ranging from €330 to €800 per month.
OeAD will also provide administrative support to help applicants find suitable housing.

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Grant holders will receive guidance on obtaining health insurance accepted in Austria, with a cost ranging from €55 to €200 per month. The scholarship also waives tuition fees at public universities, further reducing the financial burden on participants.

A travel subsidy of up to €1,200 is available for applicants from eligible developing countries, with travel invoices required for reimbursement. Moreover, recipients will have the opportunity to build valuable connections with top researchers and institutions in Austria, which can significantly enhance their academic and professional networks.

Eligibility criteria for applicants

The Ernst Mach Scholarship is open to early-career academics who are passionate about advancing their research. To be eligible, applicants must be;

Postgraduate students pursuing a PhD outside Austria or postgraduates and postdoctoral researchers looking to conduct research in Austria.
Additionally, postdocs employed at universities outside Austria are also eligible to apply.
Applicants must be 35 years old or younger (born on or after October 1st, 1989) and should not have lived, studied, or worked in Austria for more than six months prior to applying.
Proficiency in English or German is required to ensure effective communication during the research process.

How to apply for the Ernst Mach Scholarship

To apply for the Ernst Mach Scholarship 2025, interested individuals must visit the official OeAD-GmbH website.

The application deadline is February 1st, 2025. Applicants should ensure that they meet the eligibility requirements and submit all required documents before the deadline.

Austria offers scholarship grant for int’l postgraduate, research students

Education

LASU workers declare indefinite strike over salary

Published

2 weeks ago

December 10, 2024

Trends Admin

Lagos State University (LASU)

LASU workers declare indefinite strike over salary

The joint action committee of the academic and non-academic staff of Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, on Monday, declared an indefinite strike.

Their demands from the Lagos state government – their employer – include an increase in salary and addressing salary disparities between LASU and other universities in the state.

It also includes payment of 20 percent salary increase as promised by the governor during his election campaign.

Others include payment of 20 per cent and 35 per cent agreement reached between the federal government and university workers.

The unions involved include the LASU chapters of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).

Also involved are the LASU Chapters of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

Justice Obafemi, the chairman, NASU-LASU, said that the genesis of the industrial action was the promised 20 per cent salary increase made by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos during his electioneering campaign.

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Mr Obafemi said that after the election, the governor only paid the civil servants at Alausa Secretariat, neglecting the staff of the tertiary institutions.

“They used us, and in spite of our active contributions and efforts we made during the election, they have not fulfilled their promise.

“There is also a disparity in payment of salaries between LASU and the other two state-owned tertiary institutions.

“Even before Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), and Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) transmuted to universities, their staff were earning more than LASU staff,” the NASU chairman said.

Mr Obafemi added that when the administration came on board as new leaders, the unions wrote to the state government to look into the disparities.

“Also, the 20 per cent and 35 per cent agreement reached between the federal government and university workers.

“We set up a committee to look into it and sent all our requests to the government to harmonise salaries of all the academic institutions in the state.

“We had several meetings with the Lagos State Ministry of Tertiary Education and Ministry of Establishment and Training.

“Also, the LASU management tried to step into the matter. The vice-chancellor has pleaded several times, but we cannot continue to sacrifice the welfare of our union members,” Mr Obafemi said.

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Ibrahim Bakare, chairman of ASUU-LASU, said that the unions were more interested in peace, adding that the action was an agitation for staff welfare.

Mr Bakare said that all unions in the institution decided to come together and collaborate to get to where they are today.

“We are being civil and not disrespecting the Senate of the university. We will remain calm for the government to address our demands and call us for a meeting,” he said.

Seyi Lawal, chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU-LASU, said that it had discussed and given the government several ultimatums to address and meet its demands.

Mr Lawal said that the government had been playing games with them, so the unions decided to take action by calling for an indefinite strike.

“We have not even gotten to the stage of payment of minimum wage; we want the government to address these demands first,” he said.

Oluwayemisi Thomas-Onashile, coordinator, centre for information and public relations, LASU, said in a statement that the institution’s Senate had declared a Christmas and New Year break for the students and staff.

She said that the break started today till Jan. 5, 2025, adding that all university activities, including lectures and socio-academic events, would resume on Jan. 6, 2025.

“All students residing in the university’s hostels across all campuses (Ojo, LASUCOM, Epe and Badagry) are required to vacate the hostels within 48 hours.

“The university management appreciates the support and dedication of staff and students throughout the year and wishes everyone a joyous Christmas and a prosperous New Year,” Mr Thomas-Onashile said.