By Lanre Adesanya
The South West zone of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools,(NAPPS) have registered their grievance on the new tide in the education sector, where government is allegedly demotivating private schools by surcharging them to better the lots of the Public schools,in spite of the fact that stakeholders in the private schools are also taxpayers.
This was echoed as one of the concerns of NAPPS at the media briefing held today,even as the body host their National President Dr. Sally Nkem Adukwu-Bolujoko on her maiden visit to the Southwest team of NAPPS.
NAPPS through the National Vice President,Chief Yomi Otubela and the South West President Alhaja Basirat Alimi, jointly mirrored the perceived inimical mien of government to private education providers across the nation and as well addressed grey areas in the sector,the duo also call for the establishment of Education Bank especially in Lagos state, which will make loans available to school at one digit interest rate to ease the problem of accessing credit facility by the capable educationist.
Otubela noted that,”NAPPS is not averse to tax payment but to collection of taxes double in nature and multiple in character”.
The body noted further that the following categories of taxes need be stopped for private school operators; “business levy, industrial training fund levy, Radio and television charges, NIPOST stamp duties, Re accreditation fee in Ondo state and private school students N1,000 termly fee in Ekiti state, they charge government to rather look inward for solution to the economic doldrum and recession in Nigeria than heaping the whole burden on Private schools”.
The South west president Alhaja Basirat, cited the ill in government choice of doling out scholarships to public schools who less hit by the school tax dragnet,”public benefit should apply to private schools because we pay taxes,but this is not so all the monies generated from us are used to aid the public schools progress,it is not fair deal”.
NAPPS urge the government in various states to come up with harmonized demand notice as obtainable in Oyo state where tax are harmonized for private schools.
“When government fails its duty in provision of free, standard and qualitative education,they should not further deny the student of their rights by charging them, education is not a money spinning venture”.NAPPS emphasized.
The brief touched on the Federal Government proposed employment of 5,000 graduates to take up teaching appointments, as a novel step but forewarned that employing non trained teachers to teach at the basic level will do the nation much disservice.
NAPPS also called on government to deploy military and paramilitary operatives to streets where schools are local, for appropriate security of the students from being kidnapped, or attacked by insurgents a development ravaging the country.
Underaged students admittance into secondary schools and exam malpractices were frowned at by the body, as NAPPS vows to use its influence to halt that within, with the sole aim of churning out students who are matured for wider academic task,even as they go up the learning cadre.
The Oyo state President, Mrs Elizabeth who harped on the socio-cultural malaise of international curriculum being used to teach student in some schools, thus aiding the production of American child on Nigerian soil, cited it as a misnomer in our educational sector which is capable of eroding our cultural values if not quickly forestalled.