Parents Raise Alarm Over Alleged Extortion by Private School in Anambra, Pupils Threatened With Exam Ban

By Our Reporter

Fresh controversy has erupted in Anambra State as parents accuse a private school in Awka South Local Government Area of allegedly imposing illegal levies on pupils and threatening to bar those whose parents fail to pay from sitting for their end-of-session examinations.

The development has sparked outrage among affected families, who argue that the school’s actions violate existing directives by the Anambra State Government aimed at protecting parents from unnecessary financial burdens.

According to a notice circulated by the school’s management, pupils are required to participate in a Class Awards, Nursery and Primary Pageantry, and End-of-Session Extracurricular Activity scheduled for Friday, July 17, 2026. Parents were directed to make immediate payment for the event, which the school reportedly made compulsory.

However, what has generated the strongest backlash is an alleged warning by the school that any pupil whose parent fails to pay the prescribed “Fun Fair” levy would be denied access to examinations scheduled to begin next week, despite parents having fully paid their children’s tuition and other approved school charges.

“This is no longer a voluntary school activity,” an affected parent, who requested anonymity for fear of victimisation, alleged. “We have paid our children’s school fees in full, yet we are being compelled to pay additional charges under the threat that our children will not be allowed to write their examinations. That is unfair and unacceptable.”

Parents also accused the school of repeatedly disregarding state education policies by compelling families to purchase new, non-reusable textbooks and workbooks every academic session, a practice they say places avoidable financial pressure on households.

“The government has made its position clear on unnecessary end-of-session levies and exploitative practices,” another parent said. “Schools should focus on education, not creating avenues to extort parents.”

The concerned parents called on the Anambra State Government, through the Ministry of Education, to urgently investigate the allegations, ensure compliance with existing education policies, and protect pupils from being used as leverage in financial disputes.

When contacted, the management of the school is located along Umuodu Road, by Goodwill Junction, Okpuno, Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra State, denied the claims. The woman who spoke on behalf of the school, Insisted that the activities lined up for the end of the session was an important extra curricular programmes that every child must partake and that those speaking against it were doing so because they don’t want to pay.
She told AnambraDaily that this was the first time the school was making payment graduation day event compulsory for pupils and that it was because most parents who normally don’t like to pay end up at front row seats and enjoy what was available that day.
“Honestly, we are not violating any rule here. We are simply trying to ensure that our children participate in this extracurricular activities which is key to their development.
“Those saying this are actually the ones who don’t like to pay. But they will be the ones that will like to enjoy most that day.

” Besides, I don’t know how we can end the session without rewarding those children that performed well. We feel it’s very important to motivate them, together with other extracurricular activities lined up for the day.

According to her, the planned activities had the backing of most parents and was not designed to extort them. She stressed that the school does not wish to flout the directive of the state government.

She added that If the patents were not in support of this programme, the school management would have scrapped it but they themselves approved it.

As of the time of filing this report, the Anambra State Ministry of Education had not issued an official statement regarding the allegations.