The payments according to sources are categorized. While the private primary schools are to pay N1 million, those operating both primary and secondary schools are mandated to pay N5million.
The Governor Peter Mbah-led administration in Enugu State has reportedly imposed N1million to N5million mandatory payment on private schools in the state as educational taxes.
SaharaReporters gathered on Wednesday that the governor had directed that the money should be paid within the three weeks of resumption of 2024/2025 academic year which begins this September.
All schools in Enugu State both government and private school resume first term academic session on Monday, 9th September 2024.
The payments according to sources are categorized. While the private primary schools are to pay N1 million, those operating both primary and secondary schools are mandated to pay N5million.
It was gathered that before the emergence of Peter Mbah administration, educational taxes on private schools are paid per student and it was N300. "But currently, the government doesn't want to know whether you have the number of students to cover the money or not," a source told SaharaReporters.
SaharaReporters, however, learnt that some heads of private schools had already communicated the governor's tax imposition on parents through their various social media channels.
One of the messages a source forwarded to SaharaReporters partly read: "Dear parents, my compliments to you all, the governor of Enugu state has given all private schools compulsory tax of N1 million non-negotiable. Pls try and pay your children's school fees, alongside with their textbooks, because they will start coming for fees drive, the moment school reopens."
A veteran teacher told SaharaReporters that lack of teachers and dilapidated infrastructure in various government schools had led to explosion of private schools in the state as residents struggle to meet with education needs of their children.
According to the teacher, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the immediate past governor, Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi had reconstructed and renovated so many public schools before he left, yet those schools lacked qualified teachers. He added "in many of the schools parents engage private teachers to teach their wards in public schools and pay them through contributions under Parents Teachers Association (PTA)."
"Lack of teachers, poor structures and security were the reasons there were proliferation of private schools in the state, which as we speak has not been addressed. Now the government of Peter Mbah has seen it as an opportunity to make money. Since he became governor of Enugu State, instead of addressing the gaps by employing teachers and renovating, and expanding structures in public schools that are in dire need of it, it embarked on construction of humongous acclaimed smart school to fleece the state."
SaharaReporters reported on October 31, 2023 about Emene Community High School, one of the scores of secondary schools in the Enugu metropolis where students are packed like sardines over shortage of classrooms.
The school which is located in the Enugu East local government area is arguably one of the most populated schools in the state.
Its classroom blocks are not adequate for the student population in the school as 90 to 100 students were packed in one classroom meant for about 45 students. Therefore, students are packed like sardines with hardly enough space for teachers to teach or move around.
Inquiries on Wednesday by SaharaReporters have shown that nearly one year the report was published, the government of Peter Mbah administration has not taken a step to remedy the situation despite building everywhere across the state his smart school signature project.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters’ efforts to speak with the State Commissioner of Education, Prof Ndubueze Mbah, were unsuccessful as he did not take his calls.
As at the time of filing this report, he had yet to respond to a text message sent to his mobile phone.
Follow the Sahara Reporters channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaFClvtH5JM6SSsP7M2Y