Schools resumed this week in Lagos State amid the growing concerns of hike in tuition fees, among other charges, following the removal of fuel subsidy. DAMOLA KOLA-DARE, VICTORIA AMADI and VICTORIA ADEWUNMI-ONI report
Both public and private schools in Lagos resumed on Monday, for the 2023/2024 academic session. Unsurprisingly, the turn out was low as many pupils did not resume. To some parents whose wards attend private schools, the resumption came a little too early given the current economic climate of the nation as hike in tuition fees, school bus expenses, among others, would certainly take their toll on them.
Majority of parents who spoke to The Nation are apprehensive about hike in charges and the current hyper inflation occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government. However, they want timely intervention by government and the schools management.
However, Deputy National President National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo urged Parent Teacher Associations (PTA’s) to dialogue with management of schools to agree on how reasonable fees would be charged to ensure fairness to all concerned. The NAPTAN chief also urged government to ensure parents and schools get palliatives to mitigate the effects of the fuel subsidy removal. He said to ensure proper distribution of the palliatives, Community Development Associations (CDA’s) of every area should be assigned the duty.
He said:” The Parent Teacher Associations of all schools should hold meetings with school managements to discuss the situation. For instance, concerning new fare for school buses, both parties should come to agreement on a reasonable amount that would be fair to all parties. At this point, the meeting is crucial with current harsh economic realities in the country. Then, to cushion effects of the subsidy removal, Lagos State Government should ensure that parents and schools get palliatives. This should be done through the various Community Development Associations to ensure transparency and fairness.”
In a chat with The Nation, President, Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED), Mr. Emmanuel Orji, urged government to consider private schools, especially the low cost ones for palliatives,adding that many were on the verge of closing down.
He said: “Whether you are a private school owner or a public school teacher, we are all citizens of Nigeria. And education is a social enterprise,thus any administration should not discriminate when it comes to the issue Her words: ,”The challenge we parents are facing is that there is no business. And if one is working under government parastatals, there is no increase in salary
“ We can copy the diaspora; for example, in some countries, they don’t pay any school fee at a certain age; the government can give standard education to public schools, then nobody would go to private schools.” She added that infrastructure in public schools should be improved on.
For Mrs. Okafor Irene, things are very tough at the moment.
“ I advise that if it’s something that you can’t cope with, it is better to transfer your child to a lesser school, because some schools are very expensive. If it’s something one cannot do, it is just to transfer the child to another school with good teachers, or get him a private teacher to assist,” she said.
Another parent, Mr. Chiedozie Alumana, said the hike in school fees had affected parents’ purchasing power.
“Parents are not able to provide enough for their wards, because, the school fees are unapologetically increased. The sad reality is that salary can no longer take you home.”
He, however, urged the government to subsidise education in the country as any country that wants to thrive and develop, needs to invest in education.
“Regarding tertiary education, most people go outside the country to study, because of the low quality of education here; lecturers also go out of the country, resulting in brain drain.
“It still boils down on the inability of government to fund education and come up with proactive educational policies that will help to boost education. The government’s future plan must coincide with their educational plan.
If any government has a plan, for example, Vision 2030, they must come up with curriculum that will suit that future plan. So, the government has to sit up.
Education is education; whether public or private. So, government should invest in it,” he added.
A parent, who craved anonymity, said: “At this stage, there’s nothing we can do about it. We just have to go the extra mile, and adapt.”
“Everybody knows the fault is from the government in respect of the increase in the price of commodities, especially petrol. Once petrol price is increased, every other thing skyrocketed. People use that as an avenue to increase the price their products. So, when the price of fuel reduces, every other thing will also reduce.”
A journalist and a parent, Mr. Gboyega Alaka, said his major concern is how to raise the huge school fees, and still meet up with other basic things such as; feeding, transportation, utility bills and house rent. He described the situation as quite overwhelming.
“Especially because, income has not gone up. I said I choose not to worry because I hope on God’s benevolence. Besides, worry will cause another problem,” he said.
Mrs. Chidimma Akajiaku, a teacher in Imo State, noted that parents are living in their worse fear, which is not being able to sufficiently provide for their wards.
“One of the greatest fears of a parent is not being able to take care of the child. It makes such parent feel worthless and unfulfilled,” she said.
NAPPS reacts
National President of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Nigeria (NAPPS), Mr. Yomi Otubela, in a telephone conversation with The Nation noted that the country is facing numerous challenges at a time schools are resuming for another academic session. He highlighted rise in the price of fuel, high exchange rate and rise in prices of different commodities including food, as some of the challenges most parents are facing presently.
He noted that NAPPS has held several sensitisation campaigns, to expose school owners to efficient and effective ways of managing schools in an unfavourable business environment, as schools resume across the country.
Addressing the untold hardship being faced in the country, he added that he has urged its members to charge fees that are not only affordable to their prospects and parents based on the values offered, but sustainable enough to ensure profitability to meet both direct costs and associated costs.
“School owners have been engaging their parents on the need to effect fair adjustments to school charges in the areas where necessary.
“In addition, we have been constantly reminding school owners of the need to concentrate on viable and valuable projects and programmes,” he said.
He added that efforts have been put in place to equip its members to adequately handle these unfavorable situations. He however, implored government to also review the fees that are being paid by private schools to reflect the unfavorable situations that private school owners and Nigerians generally are going through.
Solution
Otubela urged the federal and state government to work hand in hand to review policies that have adverse effects on the welfare of the populace.
“Government policies should be directed toward improving the living conditions of the populace and not inflicting more hardship. We, therefore, implore governments to offer sustainable palliative measures to cushion the effect of these policies. Cash palliatives are not enough and sustainable,” he said.
Speaking on what the government should do to address the situation, a parent, Obieri, said: “First, there should be reduction in the prices of goods and services. The government should also look into the educational system. There are a lot of government schools that children can go to, but most parents don’t send their kids there, because they are not well-equipped. If it’s okay in government schools, people would not go to private schools.”
Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Lagos State wing, Mr. Akintoye Hassan, was confident that adjusting school calendar to 10 to 12 weeks, rather than the usual 15 week, would help minimise the harsh economic condition bedeviling the country.
His words: “Lagos State calendar has 15th week to make up a plan. We felt that would be too long especially in this harsh economic situation. How can parents make up when there is no end in sight?
“Palliative is not a solution to problem, but a means to alleviate the problem. We can reduce terms to adjust to the economic challenges’’.
“On Monday, Schools in Lagos State, commenced 2023/2024 academic session. And it was observed that the turnout of pupils was very low. This would tell you the level of hardship in the country.”
