Free education is still available in Lagos, according to the commissioner

The state government’s policy of free education is still in effect from primary school to senior high school, according to Jamiu Alli-Balogun, commissioner for basic and secondary education in Lagos.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Alli-Balogun made the statement on Sunday in Lagos to dispel a myth that some parents and guardians had about students paying a N8,100.00 tax.

He mentioned that children and kids might enrol in public schools as long as the tax payment was still being made.

The commissioner claims that the ongoing resumption of the 2023–2024 academic session has raised concerns about the state’s management of education.

“A crucial factor in the provision of basic necessities is the recognition that taxation is one of the state government’s primary internally-generated revenue streams for meeting its obligation with public requests.

“From kindergarten through Senior Secondary School III, the LASG free education policy is still in effect, but tax is still the responsibility of the parents to pay.

For parents’ convenience, “the Lagos Inland Revenue Services (LIRS) staff are attached to schools,” he stated.

According to the commissioner, parents who had already paid their taxes did not need to do so again but should instead present their tax certificates for authentication and verification.

He claimed that LIRS employees could do the exercise right away and obtain the required paperwork to prevent double taxation.

“In order to prevent the collection of tax payments in bulk from parents who use one surname for several children or students, receipts for tax payments must be supplied immediately.

Unless students and pupils are related, the commissioner deemed this to be improper. (NAN)