The All Progressives Movement (APM) senatorial candidate for Oyo Central, Olufemi Oguntoyinbo, has warned that the proposed increase in the registration fees for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) could lead to a rise in the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
Oguntoyinbo made the statement on Thursday, urging the Federal Government to completely abandon the proposed fee increase rather than merely suspend it.
The Federal Government had recently announced plans to increase the examination registration fees but later suspended the proposal following public reactions.
According to Oguntoyinbo, raising examination fees at a time when many Nigerians are facing economic hardship would place an additional burden on parents and make education less accessible to many students.
He argued that the responsibility of government is to ensure citizens have access to education, stressing that many families are already struggling to keep their children in school due to financial constraints.
He added that without the support of well-meaning individuals who assist indigent students, the number of school dropouts across the country would be significantly higher.
