As public and private schools in Ebonyi State, South East Nigeria resume for the 2024/2025 new academic session, working class parents and guidance are calling for the immediate payment of the new national minimum wage and other interventions to improve the economy.
Our crew who monitored the commencement of activities at some schools within the Abakaliki metropolis reports that the reality of the current harsh economy is evident at classrooms and school environents.
Poor turnout of pupils and students, with low numbers in enrollment fees payments dominate most of the schools in the Abakaliki urban city, when compared to previous seasons.
School authorities and parents blame the situation on the unfriendly economy, with the skyrocketing pump price of petrol causing spiral costs of transportation, education instructional materials and staple foods in the open markets.
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Parents, guardians, and caregivers are crying out on how the biting economy is affecting the return of their wards to classes, as it will pose serious challenges in meeting up with the routine school runs and other basic requirements of the first term.
Godwin Nwagbabo who is a father of Eight children, who bear the enormous burden of returning their wards back to school explained the difficulty of coping with the current hardships.
A social commentator, Sampson Ekigbo and Elizabeth Udeh, a school headmistress, are calling for the immediate payment of the new national minimum wage already signed into law, as a measure to ameliorate the sufferings of working class parents.
They also called on the authorities to urgently implement the other components of the terms of the new minimum wage agreement, such as the commencement of operations of the CNG transportation logistics scheme, among others.
(Editor: Anoyoyo Ogiagboviogie)
