Benue Moves to Regulate Private School Fees Amid Rising Complaints

The Benue State Government has announced plans to rein in what it describes as arbitrary and excessive fees charged by some private school owners, following growing concerns from parents over the rising cost of education across the state.

The State Government warned that it will no longer tolerate private school owners imposing what it described as outrageous fees and unauthorised levies that place undue financial pressure on parents across the state.

The move comes as part of the administration’s ongoing efforts to reduce financial pressure on parents while enforcing standards in the education sector.

The Executive Secretary of the Benue State Education Quality Assurance and Examinations Board (BEQAEB), Dr. Terna Francis, gave the warning in response to criticisms from the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), which accused the board of overzealous regulation.

Dr. Francis, however, insisted that “fee regulation is not arbitrary. It is embedded in the approval process for school establishment. You are not expected to review any fee without recourse to us for approval,” he said, emphasising that government oversight was designed to ensure fairness.

Highlighting the disparity between school fees and teacher salaries, Dr. Francis questioned the ethics of some private school practices. “Parents are sometimes charged as much as N300,000 in school fees while teachers earn as little as N30,000 monthly. Where is the justice? Where is the fairness?” he asked.

He noted that the intervention aligns with Governor Hyacinth Alia’s directive to reduce the educational burden on parents. “The governor has made it very clear that he wants to reduce school burden on parents,” Dr. Francis said.

He stressed that all regulatory actions by BEQAEB were backed by law. The board’s mandate includes monitoring, regulating, accrediting, and sanctioning schools across the state.

“Resistance from schools and proprietors is often inevitable whenever regulations are enforced,” Dr. Francis admitted, adding that the Governor’s decision to strengthen Quality Assurance independently from the Ministry of Education was aimed at a more rigorous oversight mechanism.

Dr. Francis pointed to the enabling law, which empowered BEQAEB to inspect and regulate schools to ensure compliance with approved standards. “This legal backing allows us to scrutinize school operations closely and enforce education reforms properly,” he explained.