Lagos Government Defends N10,000 Admission Fee

[Shola Sholaz]

The Lagos State Government has defended the payment of N10,000 by primary six pupils seeking admission into the 15 model colleges and upgraded Junior Secondary Schools in the state, describing it as the standard fee.
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Mr Jide Lawal, the Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Ministry of Education, said in a statement that the money was for administrative charges for external examinations.
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The spokesman said the money was not for the pilot Computer-Based Testing (CBT) as claimed by some people.
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It said the CBT was a pilot scheme introduced to further enhance the process, adding that it is open to limited number of interested candidates who will like to participate in the pilot scheme.
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"Our attention has been drawn to the objections of both the Education Rights Campaign (ERC) and the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) to the amount charged for the screening test.
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"We wish to state categorically that the payment of N10, 000 for the screening tests is not a new thing as that has always been the practice for the past years.
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"Hence, one begins to question the motive behind the objections of the two groups.
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"It is pertinent to point out that the fee cannot in any way bring hardships to parents as the screening tests into model colleges/upgraded colleges are for parents who wish to have their children and wards in boarding schools.'' (NAN)