Serious concerns were recently raised about the undue disagreement that exists between school principals and parents over the management of the finances of Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs). The apprehensions were expressed by some parents in a recent report published by Daily Trust on Sunday of December 20, 2015. While some parents are accusing principals of collaborating with PTA executives to charge illegal fees in schools, the principals are disassociating themselves from the accusation, saying they have no business meddling in the activities of PTAs. Some of the unapproved fees which schools are being accused of charging include meal subsidy.
According to the parents, the activities of some principals and PTAs in Federal Government Colleges were becoming questionable. Some of the parents alleged, for example that the management of Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC), Orozo, Abuja and executives of the school PTA are conniving to rip them off following various levies imposed on students. They argued that it was not their responsibility to make provisions for some of the things students are levied for; saying also that the charges are in some cases not only inconsistent but exorbitant.
At the FSTC Orozo, while the PTA charges an old student N6,000 as levy, newly admitted students are charged N65, 000, an issue that led to chaos at the school’s last PTA congress held recently. The failure of the PTA executives to give convincing reasons for the differential charges led to confrontations amongst parents at the meeting.
The parents also wondered why a PTA levy was made a condition for their wards’ registration in school. The imposition of illegal fees, according to the media account, has also been reported in Federal Government Girls College, Benin, Edo State.
Spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Education Mr. Olu Lipede in his reaction said a meeting has been held with principals of federal unity schools, directing them to stop charging illegal fees.
He said government has not been able to meet up with its obligations to the schools in terms of the provision of facilities because of the increase in students’ population, which is why PTAs sit and agree to intervene in certain areas to improve upon the situation in schools.
However, recent developments where parents believe that PTAs are imposing fees on them, and in some instances agitate for the removal of some school principals, are not good images of what PTAs should be.
PTAs which are non-profit making organizations were founded to among other aims provide a platform for teachers, parents and guardians to meet, exchange views, analyse issues as well as take decisions on matters affecting teaching and learning in their respective schools.
Besides being a forum for interaction between the home and the school, PTAs over time became avenues for intervention in schools especially in areas where facilities that will ensure effective teaching and learning are lacking. Nowhere in the associations’ constitutions is profiteering listed as a goal.
We call on school principals not to make the payment of PTA levies a condition for registration of students since such levies are voluntary.
The impression should not be created that principals connive with PTAs to extort money from parents. Besides the standard charges, school administrators should not build PTA levies into the bills of students as if such were part of school fees.
After all, PTA accounts are not run by school principals. Executive members of PTAs which comprise parents as well as teachers should all consider the interest and well being of students paramount in the running of the association.
Levies would not be described as impositions if decisions for such contributions were unanimously taken. The onus is on the PTA congress of every school to ensure that its resolutions on levies for any developmental project the association intends to execute are harmoniously decided.
The leadership of PTAs should equally strive to build trust and confidence in members through transparent management of the association’s finances. This is also as we call on the Federal Ministry of Education to regulate the activities of PTAs by clearly defining their roles and limits in the management of schools.
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