Some parents in Rivers State have urged the government to ban non-essential activities in schools, citing rising economic hardship and low household incomes.

The parents lamented that the increasing demands from schools are placing heavy financial burdens on families, with some even linking the strain to health challenges.

A monitoring exercise by The Guardian revealed a low turnout of pupils and students on Monday as the new academic year resumed in Rivers State and other parts of the country.

At Community Secondary School, Rumuekini, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, a parent, Mr. Zabulum Ikedi, who was registering his 11-year-old daughter, criticized the government for failing to sustain its free education policy.

According to him, “The heavy financial responsibilities, such as fees, books, and uniforms, are now being shifted to parents. With poor infrastructure and lack of desks, public schools are no longer attractive.”

Similarly, another parent whose children attend Blessed Academy in Mile 3, Diobu, Port Harcourt, called on the government to scrap activities such as cultural days and graduation ceremonies and instead prioritize academics.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Ministry of Education commenced a monitoring exercise across schools on Monday, which also confirmed low student turnout.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Dr. Ndidi Chikanele Utchay, expressed concern over the development, urging parents to release their children to begin classes.

The Chairman of the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB), Sam Ogeh, also led an inspection of public schools. He pledged the government’s readiness to address the shortage of teachers, particularly in the basic education sector.

Ogeh, however, frowned at the low turnout of teachers in some schools, directing that those absent be transferred to community schools as a disciplinary measure.

He also condemned the destruction and theft of facilities at Township School, opposite the Alfred Diete-Spiff Sports Complex, warning that the government would not tolerate such acts.

In addition, Ogeh ordered retired staff and teachers still occupying school quarters to vacate them within seven days.

Some of the schools visited during the inspection include Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Borikiri; Township School; Army Day School, Rainbow; and CSS Nkpolu Oroworukwo