Former Cross River Education Adviser urges school administrators to keep students in class despite financial difficulties

Former Special Adviser on Education in Cross River State, Castro Ezama, has paid the school fees of a Junior Secondary School student who was sent home over non-payment and offered her a scholarship covering the remainder of her secondary education.

 

Ezama disclosed this in a personal account of how he celebrated his birthday, explaining that he encountered the student, Alice Williams, along Marian Road while she was heading home after being sent away from school.

 

Alice is a student of Government Secondary School, Akim Quo Town, in Cross River State.

 

According to Ezama, he decided to follow the young girl to her home, where he met her father, Mr Okon Williams Friday, who is battling a serious illness and struggling financially to provide for his family.

 

Sick Father Struggles to Pay Medical Bills

Ezama said Alice’s father had been diagnosed with prostatic adenocarcinoma, a form of prostate cancer, and was finding it increasingly difficult to meet the cost of his medical treatment.

 

Mr Williams, who works as the transport officer of Calabar South Local Government Area, had reportedly exhausted his financial resources and could no longer sustain the payment of medical bills at the Navy Reference Hospital.

 

The former education adviser described the family’s situation as a reflection of the severe economic challenges confronting many households, particularly those dealing with serious health conditions alongside the rising cost of living.

 

Moved by the circumstances, Ezama said he decided to relieve the family of the responsibility of paying Alice’s school fees.

 

He confirmed that her Junior Secondary School Three (JSS3) fees had been paid and that she had also been placed on a scholarship for the remainder of her secondary education.

 

The intervention is expected to help Alice continue her studies without the immediate burden of school fees on her family.

 

Ezama Condemns Sending Students Home Over School Fees

Beyond Alice’s personal circumstances, Ezama used the experience to call on school administrators to reconsider the practice of sending students home over unpaid school fees, especially those attending public schools.

 

He argued that public education should be free, particularly from Primary One to Junior Secondary School Three, and urged school authorities to consider the economic realities facing parents before taking decisions that interrupt children’s education.

 

“I am against chasing school children home for not paying ‘school fees’. I beseech our school administrators to look genuinely into this. Life is really tough for a lot of families,” he said.

 

His comments highlight the difficult choices some families face when household income must cover essential needs such as food, education and medical treatment.

 

For households dealing with serious illnesses, school expenses can become particularly difficult to manage as parents struggle to balance treatment costs with their children’s educational needs.

 

Sending students home over unpaid fees can also disrupt their learning, particularly when financial difficulties persist for an extended period.

 

Ezama’s intervention therefore raises broader questions about how public schools can support vulnerable students while ensuring that financial hardship does not become a barrier to education.

 

Two Children Sacrifice Education for Their Sister

Ezama further revealed that two of Mr Williams’ children had been unable to continue their education because of the family’s financial difficulties.

 

He said the children had made sacrifices to support their sister, Joy, who is currently a third-year student in the Department of Genetics and Biotechnology at the University of Calabar (UNICAL).

 

According to him, Joy is a brilliant student with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of at least 3.50.

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The situation underscores the difficult decisions that financially strained families sometimes make when they cannot afford to educate all their children simultaneously.

 

While Joy has continued her university education, her siblings have reportedly had to put their own academic ambitions on hold.

 

Ezama’s decision to sponsor Alice’s secondary education could help prevent another interruption in the young girl’s schooling and ease some of the financial pressure on the family.

 

However, the circumstances surrounding the other two children’s education also point to the need for sustained assistance that could enable them to resume their studies.

 

Commends Governor Bassey Otu Over WAEC Fees

The former Special Adviser on Education also commended Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, for his reported intervention in the payment of West African Examinations Council (WAEC) fees for Senior Secondary School Three students across the state.

 

Ezama described the governor’s action as a commendable gesture that could ease the financial burden on parents and help eligible students sit for their examinations.

 

He urged the state Ministry of Education to take further steps to ensure that students are not unnecessarily excluded from classrooms because their families cannot afford school-related expenses.

 

Expressing hope that the ministry would act urgently, Ezama appealed for measures that would allow students to remain in class while appropriate solutions are considered for families experiencing genuine financial hardship.

 

His appeal comes against the backdrop of continuing concerns about access to education and the ability of low-income households to meet the costs associated with schooling.

 

Although government assistance with examination fees can reduce some of these pressures, other expenses and the circumstances of individual families may still require additional support.

 

Thanks Supporter for Assistance With Medical Bills

Ezama also acknowledged an individual identified as Mr Patrick Ali for providing financial assistance towards Mr Williams’ health challenges.

 

He expressed gratitude for the contribution, which he said was intended to support the ailing father.

 

The former education adviser described his visit to the Williams family as a meaningful way to mark his birthday, choosing to assist a family facing both medical and educational difficulties.

 

Rather than limiting the occasion to personal celebrations, he used the opportunity to draw attention to the challenges confronting the family and to provide immediate assistance where possible.

 

A Call for Greater Support for Vulnerable Students

The Williams family’s experience illustrates how illness and financial hardship can combine to threaten children’s access to education.

 

For Alice, the payment of her JSS3 fees and the promise of a scholarship through secondary school represent an opportunity to continue her education despite her family’s difficulties.

 

For her father, the intervention offers some relief from the responsibility of financing her schooling while he battles a serious illness.

 

Ezama’s appeal to school administrators and the state Ministry of Education also places emphasis on the importance of keeping children in school, particularly when their parents are facing circumstances beyond their control.

 

While individual acts of assistance can make an immediate difference, broader support systems remain important to ensure that vulnerable children do not lose educational opportunities because of their families’ financial circumstances.

 

Ezama, who writes from Atekong Drive, concluded his account by expressing gratitude for the opportunity to visit the Williams home and assist the family.

 

The intervention serves as a reminder that protecting access to education requires both practical assistance for struggling families and sustained efforts to ensure that financial hardship does not prevent children from learning.