PTA grief as NOWA again shut Students out over contention on Increase of Fees

Comfort Nkong

Parents expressed dissatisfaction as some students were again denied entrance into the school compound by NOWA school Karshi, Abuja On Sunday, May 7, 2023 over non payment of the disagreement on increase on fees.

According to the parents, the school had increased the fees by twenty thousand naira in the same session before sending another message two days to resumption notifying them of a further fifty thousand naira increase when many had already paid the previous increase in fees in the newsletter at the close of the term.

Mrs Olorunfemi, one of the parent said it is inappropriate for the school to act this way.

” They already gave us tellers to pay school fees, people like me had paid, just two days to resumption via text message NOWA president through the commandant sent a WhatsApp message that she has increased school fees to 50,000 after we had paid over 300,000.

Two days to resumption ? She asked. ” I have had children here for 6 years and this is the first time this is happening.”

The parents said they got to school with their wards having paid the fees on the newsletter but were turned back. Only those who came in early last week were allowed without the increment though they were told it would be recorded as outstanding.

Their concern was the medium through which the message was passed. A parent who spoke on condition of anonymity said ” some parents could not go back to the bank to pay.

Some parents noted that previously if the wanted to increase school fees they would usually do it through newsletter or PTA meeting.

“We resumed, they said they will not allow all the children who did not pay the autocratic 50,000 increase to enter. Most of them are in WAEC class and exams starts this week, imagine the psychological effect on the students”, they lamented.

Officials of the PTA who spoke to journalists said they had called for a discussion to resolve the problem with the school authorities but got no response.They further said they had approached the court but were surprised that the school had disregarded the court order and gone ahead to enforce the increment.

Mr Abimbola Danjuma who spoke to reporters said ” it is very disheartening and unfortunate. Infact we are surprised that NOWA president would act in this manner knowing fully well that some of these students are in their final year and about to commence WAEC. We had an agreement on what to pay then in the middle of the second term you introduced additional fees?”, she queried, adding the manner in which it is done is very disrespectful to parents.

The PTA called on the senior hierarchy of the Navy to wade in and resolve the impasse as failure to do so could affect the intake of students for the next session.

The school commandant, Lt. Commander Ikhiere who told parents earlier that he was not aware of the court proceedings and was acting on instructions, declined talking to Journalists.