By Martin Opara
The parents and guardians of pupils and students of Living Word Academy, located in Akwakuma, Owerri North LGA of Imo state, have cried out over arbitrary termly increase of school fees without prior notice or information.
Some parents who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity, to avoid exposing their children to danger complained that the General Overseer of Living Word Ministry, Bro Emma Okorie and the management of the school, with branches most African countries and beyond, have formed the habit of increasing school fees by five thousand naira (5000) every term, without informing or discussing it with the parents.
The parents are also wondering what the money accruing from these arbitrary increases in fees are used for because the school still lacks recreational/games facilities, hence the children spend their break periods inside their classrooms.
They therefore called on the governor, through the Ministry of Education, to checkmate the activities of some of the private schools in the state by urging them to convene periodic meetings of Parents’, Teachers’, Association (PTA) to deliberate and decide on such and other issues before implementation, to avoid agitations and clash of interests.
When contacted on phone, one of the principals in the school said “the present increase of five thousand naira, is the first in the last seven years and wondered why there should be complaint, considering the rising cost of running the school in term of logistics. Besides, the school is classy and gives both the children and their parents exactly what they went”. She said anybody saying otherwise is either a detractor or saboteur.
