The Delta State Government has suspended the head teacher of New Era Primary School, Okpanam in Oshimili North local government area of the state over alleged illegal collection of N2,000 from pupils for primary six results.
The Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Hon Samuel Mariere who announced the suspension while addressing public primary education stakeholders at Akwukwu-Igbo, said the board had warned against such collections as directed by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
Mariere said the present administration in the state had made it clear that education at the primary level is free and warned head teachers against extortion from parents and wards.
He expressed disappointment that some unrepentant head teachers have refused to desist from illegal collections, noting that the act is one of the reasons why some of them will continue to resist transfer because of the fortune they made over time as school heads.
The SUBEB boss stressed that the state government seriously frowned against any form of extortion in the guise of printing examination question papers and collection of results, saying that public primary education is completely free of charge in Delta State.
Mariere warned head teachers who are still in the business of illegal collection in their schools to repent or face dismissal from service when caught.
He called on stakeholders in public primary education to help monitor and supervise teachers in their localities and report anyone found doing the wrong things to the board, particularly in the areas of poor commitment to work, absenteeism and extortion.
He appealed to the local government councils in the state to pay the 10% total emoluments of teachers and local education authority staff as required by the UBEC law to run the day-to-day activities of the schools.
The SUBEB boss thanked the Obi Azuka of Akwukwu-Igbo Kingdom, HRM, Dr David Azuka for his support on reforms in public primary education.
Chairman, Oshimili North local government, Hon Innocent Esewezie, represented by the Head of Personnel Management, Mrs Stella Ofunne, welcomed the ongoing reforms and pledged support to revamp public primary schools.
The Education Secretary for the LG, Elder Austin Odogwu, said his office would enforce discipline in schools to ensure quality service delivery, even as he thanked the state government for the recent recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in the state.