The Ondo State Government has banned cash payments in all public schools as part of measures to curb alleged extortion and unauthorised levies imposed on pupils and students.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, announced the policy during a meeting with executives of the Association of Bursars of Secondary Schools in Akure.
According to the commissioner, the government has introduced a digital payment gateway through which all financial transactions in public schools will be processed and documented.
Ajibefun said the new system would take effect from the next academic session, warning principals, bursars and other school officials against collecting money directly from parents or students.
He explained that the decision followed complaints from parents during the previous academic session over alleged illegal and unauthorised collections in some public schools.
The commissioner said he personally visited some schools to verify the complaints and confirmed that unauthorised collections were taking place. The findings prompted the ministry to work with stakeholders and a technical team to develop a transparent and traceable payment system.
“From now on, every payment will have to pass through the gateway, and we have placed a ban on cash payments,” Ajibefun said.
He added that the initiative had been approved by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and that funds paid through the platform would be remitted to the appropriate school accounts.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Akindele Ige, urged school bursars and other stakeholders to familiarise themselves with the new system and ensure its effective implementation.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Association of Bursars of Secondary Schools, Fisayo Fapounda, welcomed the initiative, describing it as a positive step towards improving transparency in the management of school finances.
He, however, urged the company handling the payment gateway to properly engage and train school bursars to prevent misinformation and implementation challenges.