Kwara State Scraps PTA Fees, Rolls Out Free Textbooks and School Grants

The Kwara State Government has announced the end of Parents Teachers Association (PTA) levies in all public primary schools, replacing them with annual school grants to cover the running costs of the institutions.

Prof. Shehu Adaramaja, Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), made the announcement during the opening of bids for the 2024 (3rd and 4th quarters) UBEC/SUBEB intervention projects.

“The Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has approved the stoppage of PTA payments across all public primary schools in the state, from Primary 1 to 6. There will be no more PTA levies in Kwara State,” Prof. Adaramaja said.

He also revealed that the state government will provide English and Mathematics textbooks free of charge to all pupils in public primary schools.

The intervention projects will include the construction of classroom blocks with offices and toilets, renovation and remodeling of classrooms, drilling of solar-powered boreholes with tank stands, rehabilitation of digital literacy centers, provision of foundation literacy materials, fabrication and distribution of two-seater pupils’ desks, and implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative in selected local government areas.

Prof. Adaramaja added that Governor AbdulRazaq has approved the payment of 2025 counterpart funds for UBEC/SUBEB projects. He urged contractors handling the projects to strictly follow specifications, warning that shoddy work would not be tolerated.

He commended the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Hajiya Aisha Garba, and other stakeholders for their contributions to the success of the programme.

Representing the bidders, Maroof Ahmed, Secretary of the Indigenous Contractors Association, thanked the government for the opportunity and promised that members would deliver high-quality projects on time.