By Josephine Oguntoyinbo

The Ondo State House of Assembly has called for stricter regulation of coaching centres across the state, citing their negative impact on the operations of private schools.

During a plenary session presided over by Speaker Olamide Oladiji, lawmakers deliberated on a petition submitted by the Ondo State chapter of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS).

The petition raised concerns over the recent increase in remittances to the government, particularly registration fees for external candidates sitting for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams.

Presenting the report of the House Committee on Education, its Chairman, Kolawole Ologede, disclosed that following a thorough review, the Assembly’s leadership summoned the Permanent Secretary and Directors of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to a meeting scheduled for Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

Ologede noted that the Speaker subsequently directed representatives of NAPPS and the Ministry’s management team to appear before the House leadership on the same date.

Findings from the meeting revealed that the Ministry of Education had been mandated during the 2025 budget defence exercise to enhance its revenue generation, a directive that led to an upward review of certain levies in the Ministry’s revenue structure, purportedly in the best interest of the state.

The report, however, clarified that the issue of multiple taxation raised against the Ministry fell beyond its purview and should be addressed by the Ondo State Board of Internal Revenue Services for possible adjustments.

Recommending that coaching centres be discouraged due to their adverse effects on private schools, the committee further advised that both parties find a middle ground to ensure fairness and equity.

Additionally, the House resolved that students who fail the Joint Senior Secondary School (SSS 2) Examination would now have the opportunity to resit the exam at a cost of ₦2,500 per candidate.

For logistical reasons, each senatorial district in the state will be allocated a designated centre for resit examinations. Meanwhile, the registration fee for external candidates retaking the exam has been reduced from ₦7,000 to ₦4,000.

The Assembly also urged NAPPS to maintain regular engagement with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to align with government policies and programmes.

Furthermore, a fixed fee of ₦20,000 per centre has been approved for institutions presenting external candidates for any resit examination.