More than 700,000 students in Ogun State may be at risk of missing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) as private school operators raise concerns over restrictive registration quotas and bureaucratic hurdles imposed by the state’s Ministry of Education. The operators claim these policies are hindering schools’ ability to prepare students for critical national exams.
In a petition to the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, private school leaders, led by Hon. Ade Ojo, Chairman of Ota and Adiyan Private Schools, accused the Ministry of engaging in “administrative molestation” and financial extortion through non-uniform Continuous Assessment System and Summative (CASS) fees, a charge they say is unique to Ogun State.
The group highlighted issues including hidden charges on the DIPER platform, duplicated clearance procedures, and restrictive registration quotas, which they argue create unnecessary pressure on schools and divert attention from their core mission of teaching. They described the system as designed “to frustrate rather than facilitate” student education.
The petition demands the immediate abolition of CASS fees, removal of bureaucratic obstacles to SSS 2 student enrollment transfers, and an end to unprofessional conduct by CASS consultants. The operators warned that without swift government intervention, hundreds of thousands of students could be barred from participating in WASSCE.
Private school leaders are calling on the Ogun State House of Assembly to direct the Commissioner for Education to address these challenges promptly, emphasizing that safeguarding students’ educational rights is critical to achieving the state’s “Building Our Future Together” agenda.
