By Okey Alozie
Even as the results for Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE)for 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 have not been released, another registration of (BECE) otherwise known as Junior WAEC Examination for 2024 is about to start in Imo State.
Information revealed that Imo Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB) top officials have held secret meetings with Principals of secondary schools to increase BECE (Junior WAEC) registration fee for this year.
Our roving reporter gathered that the Ministry of Education is not aware of the meeting yet.
Sources hinted that the official registration fee per candidate for the BECE Examination is N4,000. But Principals under the umbrella Body of ANCOPSS resolved to take N3,000 as handling charge per student registration making it N7,000 seven thousand. It was further alleged that SEMB may demand for N300 per candidate registration to make it N7,300 per student. But the N300 addition as we gathered sparked controversy at that meeting as ANCOPSS, the umbrella body of principals declared it unacceptable, adding that the State cannot demand clearance from its own students.
It was explained that Examination Development Centre (EDC) that is owned by Imo State is incharge of BECE (Junior WAEC) therefore the payment and demand for N300 clearance fee do not hold ground.
Report has it that parents are not happy with the way things are happening in the Imo school system.
According to the aggrieved parents who spoke to our roving reporter, extortion of money has come to alarming rate.
“Imo Government should now consider it necessary to probe SEMB immediately on these high charges of Examination registration fees in Imo State. They also demanded for the immediate sack of some of the officials who are into extortion at SEMB.
