Delta State Government has suspended the headmistress of Okotie-Eboh Primary School 1 in Sapele LGA, Vero Igbigwe.
Her suspension comes after a video went viral last Wednesday of a young girl, Success Adegor, who was furious for being sent home over her parents’ failure to pay for her second term examination and books, all estimated at N15,000.
In the video recorded by a neighbour, the seven-year-old cried that she would rather be flogged for non-payment than be sent away from school.
Mrs Igbigwe was suspended on Monday after the commissioner for education, Chiedu Ebie, visited the school and inquired why parents were asked to pay for examination fees when the government operates free education policy.
The head teacher, according to the commissioner, could not explain the alleged illegal collection of examination levies from pupils.
“Consequently I have directed the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to suspend the head teacher pending the outcome of a formal enquiry into the issue of unauthorised levies/ and fees imposed by her in the School,” he said.
On concerns over infrastructural decay in the school, Ebie said the government had begun the first phase of renovation and that more would follow.
