WAEC/NECO Fees: Benue Govt Orders School to Refund ₦106,000 Charged Parents

The Benue State Government has directed Jewel Model School, Makurdi, to immediately refund the ₦106,000 it charged parents for the registration of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), describing the fee as excessive and unjustified.

The directive was issued through the Education Quality Assurance and Examinations Board (BEQAE) following petitions from parents who alleged that the school imposed arbitrary and inflated examination charges.

After reviewing the complaints, the board summoned the school’s proprietor, principal and members of the Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) executive to a meeting in Makurdi. Officials said the school failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the amount collected.

Speaking at the meeting, the Executive Secretary of BEQAE, Dr Terna Francis, said the officially approved fee for WAEC registration stands at ₦28,000, while NECO has yet to announce its charges for the 2026 examinations.

“Schools are only allowed to collect the approved examination fees, with a handling charge that must not exceed ₦5,000 per examination,” Francis said.

He also clarified that students are not required to sit for both examinations, stressing that the decision should rest with parents and candidates.

“Registration for WAEC and NECO is optional, not compulsory. Any extra costs must be transparently discussed and mutually agreed with parents, not imposed unilaterally,” he added.

Francis raised concerns over claims that parents were denied avenues to express their views, alleging that PTA meetings had not been held for almost two years and that parents were restricted from contributing on the school’s WhatsApp platform.

He further criticised the practice of channeling school and examination payments into the proprietor’s personal bank account, describing it as a violation of accountability standards.

“Such practices undermine proper auditing and are unacceptable in a regulated educational system,” he said.

The BEQAE boss subsequently directed the Director of Enforcement and Compliance Operations, Rev. Fr. Dr Terungwa Tor, to place the school under close monitoring to ensure full compliance with the board’s instructions.

Warning against the exploitation of parents, Francis said schools that impose undue financial burdens on learners risk stiff sanctions, including the withdrawal of their operating licences.

“These exploitative practices only worsen the challenge of out-of-school children, which the government is determined to eliminate,” he stated.

Opinion Nigeria News