Parents have lamented the increase in tuition, school certificate examinations, collection of testimonials, results and valedictory services fees in private secondary schools. But proprietors have also defended what necessitated such increment, urging governments to intervene, Assistant Editor Bola Olajuwon reports.
With a few days to the resumption of schools, this is not the best of time for many parents with fees to pay for their returning children in private and public schools. Apart from the rich, most parents are finding it difficult to pay for the quality education they desire for their children. It’s even worse for those with children in private schools. Before now, parents lived in palpable fear at the beginning of every academic year. But, school proprietors, especially secondary schools, do not wait again till the beginning of new academic year before sending notice of one increment or the other.
The burden of rising school fees
In Lagos, especially, parents spend varied sums to educate their children. A parent told The Nation that he spends N2. 4million per year to educate his son in secondary school.
“I pay N800,000 each term on my son’s school fees. I pay N2. 4million per year. In September, I don’t know what to expect,” the parent, who craved anonymity, said.
Some secondary schools, it was learnt, bill parents between N1million and N2 million or higher for each term aside the usual increment in feeding and other fees. Ivy League schools’ fees have also skyrocketed.
Many parents are also lamenting the practice of asking those in terminal classes to pay the total amount of money meant for three terms within two terms. Fees for secondary school certificate examinations, collection of testimonials, results and valedictory service have also increased.
Many parents who also spoke with The Nation lamented about the development.
A parent, Mr. Joseph Williams, explained that his blood pressure rises when his children bring notices of any form from their schools.
“If it is not notification of increase in school fees, it’s about bus fares or development levies. We used to see private schools as an alternative to the overburdened public education system. But with the inflationary trends, I know the private school private school proprietors are not immune to the economic challenges facing the country and they are often left with no choice but to increase school fees and pass them to parents.
“While this may be a necessary measure to ensure high standards in the schools, it further worsens the financial burden on parents,” Williams said.
Another parent, Mrs. Funmi Adedeji, explained: “I’m considering withdrawing my children from private secondary schools. I have nobody to look up to, except God. The steep increase in fees is becoming unbearable for me. I have other things to take of and I cannot devote so much money on school fees alone.’’
The National Bureau of Statistics’ (NBS) new report highlighted that only 12 per cent of workers are in wage employment and 88 per cent are self-employed. But inadequate infrastructure, power, insecurity, fiscal uncertainty, high interest rates and low purchasing power of the citizens are affecting businesses, leading to a high failing business rate.
With most parents having to pay for everything to make their businesses afloat, the skyrocketing costs of living have emptied their pockets, especially as a result of Christmas and New Year’s festivities.
The school proprietors have also argued that countless levies being paid to federal, states and local councils and inflationary trends have led to a rise in the cost of books, learning aids and transport costs for pupils.
Therefore, school proprietors said it is realistic that there must be increase in school fees due to alleged high cost of running the schools through payment of salaries, multiple taxation by Federal, state and local governments as well as high cost of fuel to power generators. The proprietors alleged that several schools in Lagos State alone have shut down, indicating a tangible consequence of the challenges they faced.
Parents are, then, left with either to bear the financial strain and continue to invest in their children’s education or withdraw them from private schools to the public schools.
The public schools are not immune to increase in fees as seen in the last few years.
NAPTAN President: the situation is appalling
The Deputy National President, NAPTAN, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, told The Nation that it’s appalling and unfortunate the way some private universities introduce one fee or the other for parents to pay.
Ogunbanjo said the practice before in secondary and primary schools were for the concerned educational institutions or authorities to call stakeholders meetings to discuss the necessity for such increase. However, he said parents just wake up hearing of increase in fees like acceptance fees, tuition fees, among others, especially in universities.
In private secondary and private schools, he said: “Before you can increase fees, you have to hold teachers and parents meetings to make sure you are in agreement with parents on such increase. You must justify the increment. Without that, you can’t just increase fees.”
On whether he is aware of many levies schools are being asked to pay by Federal, state and local governments, Ogunbanjo said: “Let the school proprietors give us what to engage with governments whether in Lagos State or other states. By the time the executives of the PTA meet the affected state and local governments, we will know what to engage them on.”
Challenges faced by private schools, by OMEP, NAPPS chairpersons
The Chairperson of World organisation for Early Childhood Education in Lagos State (OMEP), Mrs. Bola Falore, spoke with The Nation on a complex set of challenges faced by private schools in the state.
Highlighting the challenges point-by-point, she said: “Operational costs: Private schools often face high operational costs, including expenses for facilities, staff salaries, educational resources, and maintenance. Without adequate government support or subsidies, these costs become a burden, leading to financial strain.
“Lack of government support: The absence of financial assistance or subsidies from the government places a heavier burden on private educational institutions. Unlike public schools, which receive funding from the government, private schools rely heavily on tuition fees and may struggle to cover their expenses.
“Impact on affordability: As operational costs rise, private schools may be compelled to increase tuition fees to sustain their operations.This, in turn, affects the affordability of education for the general populace. Families may find it challenging to meet the rising costs, leading to a potential decline in enrollment of learners.
“Closure of schools: The closure of several schools in Lagos State alone indicates a tangible consequence of these challenges. If these issues persist, more schools may face financial difficulties, resulting in closures. This not only affects the education sector but also has broader implications for the community, including potential job losses for educators and staff.
“Future plans: Other schools considering closure in September 2024 suggests a trend that could escalate if the situation continues. Schools may find it unsustainable to operate without necessary financial support and may make the difficult decision to shut down.
“Government awareness: It is being suggested that the impact on private schools will become evident to the government by September 2024. This emphasises the urgency for policymakers to recognise the challenges faced by private educational institutions and consider policy reevaluation and put in measures to provide support or alleviate some of the financial burdens.
“In summary, the situation described highlights a precarious state for private education in the region, with potential consequences for both schools and the communities they serve. The need for government’s attention and support is crucial to ensuring the continued existence and accessibility of private education.
“Private schools play a pivotal role in shaping the educational landscape, providing diverse and quality learning environments. However, the operational landscape presents formidable challenges that jeopardise the existence of these institutions. The escalating operational costs, exacerbated by the absence of government subsidies, are forcing many private schools to reconsider their viability.”
National President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Otunba Yomi Otubela, affirmed that the persistent rise in operating costs for schools poses a considerable challenge for school owners, largely attributable to the high inflation rates and the unstable business environment prevalent in the country.
Otubela said: “Therefore, it is crucial to recognise that private schools navigate the same tumultuous business conditions and are not immune to the adverse effects of the current economic downturn in the country. I can confirm to you also that many private schools are grappling to maintain viability and stability.
“Consequently, to weather these challenges and sustain operations amid escalating costs, it becomes imperative for private schools to adjust their charges, particularly in areas directly affected by rising operational expenses.
“It is noteworthy that the majority of parents are cognisant of these challenges. Private school owners and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) have actively engaged in discussions concerning adjustments to costs and fees, aiming to mitigate the impact on families. Similarly, private schools are proactively embracing cost-cutting strategies by prioritising activities and projects that directly enhance the learning experience.”
He added: “NAPPS, as a responsive association, continues to collaborate with relevant government agencies at both state and federal levels.This collaboration is designed to ensure that private schools are well-informed about government policies and programs, with the aim of safeguarding their operations.
“Additionally, NAPPS has presented requests to address issues such as multiple taxation for private schools.
“We are also advocating the establishment of an Education Bank, offering school owners access to loans with concessional interest rates.
“Furthermore, our appeal extends to the inclusion of private schools in government palliative programmes dedicated to workers in the private education sub-sectors. All these will ensure that private schools can operate at minimal costs to provide qualitative learning experiences at affordable costs to parents.”
Ex-minister urges to pay moreattention on private and govt-owned institutions
However, a one-time Minister of Education, Prof. Chinwe Obaji, urged the Federal Government to pay more attention to the activities of some private and government-owned institutions.
According to her, there is the need for the government to intensity its monitoring, supervision and evaluation efforts in schools across all levels in the country, to achieve quality products.
She added that such measure, if carried out, would also check the exploitative tendencies often witnessed, especially in most private secondary schools.
“I think the government must step up efforts in beaming its searchlights in the schools, especially the private-owned secondary schools where some teachers and management rip parents off their hard earned money in the name of carrying out one academic task or the other.
“Some parents have been coming up with several complaints concerning the outrageous demands made by some of these private schools.
“The most worrisome of them is the outrageous fees these schools tend to quote for these parents as amount meant for the registration of public examinations such as the Senior School Certificate Examination by National Examinations Council (NECO) and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) by West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
“These fees tend to be a far cry from the standard fees fixed by the two examination bodies.
“In the same vein, such light must also be beamed on some public schools, where it has been discovered that some teachers abandon their line of duties to engage in petty trade or other things.
“There must seem to be that passion, dedication and discipline on the side of school administrators as well, not just government alone. All hands must be on deck to take the sector to the much-desired height,” the former minister said.
