Lagos parents protest against exorbitant increase in boarding school fees by over 186% amid economic hardship

Many parents came out on Sunday, September 15, to protest against the Lagos State government’s decision to suddenly hike the boarding fees for students in model colleges by over 186 per cent amid the prevailing economic crunch.

The concerned parents were seen on a day they were supposed to usher their children back to school protesting at Oriwu Model College, Ikorodu, over the state ministry of education’s decision to suddenly increase boarding fees from N35,000 to N100,000 (over186 per cent) for boarding students in all its unity schools.

The protesting parents were carrying placards in demonstration of their disapproval of the fee hike and demanded a reversal or they would not release their children back to school.

The parents, who were gathered in front of the college’s gate were seen shouting and displaying their placards “no reversal, no resumption, where is the free education you promised our children?”

Some of the parents who spoke with Businessday in anonymity complained of the government’s insensitivity to their plights in the face of the rising economic challenges.

“Where do they want us to get the money from, is that the free education they promised? We will not allow our children to resume except the fee is reversed,” she said.

Another parent said he would rather change the child’s school than to commit to the state government’s N100,000 per term fees hike.

“That’s outrageous, how could a government that promised us free education, suddenly begin to rip us off,” he asked.

The parents called on Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos State to come to their rescue because according to them, the fee is too much to bear in the face of the rising cost of living crisis.

Dapo Dawodu, chairman of parents’ forum of Lagos Model Colleges told our reporter in a telephone conversation, that the forum resolved to take a stand of no reversal, no resumption because, the decision of the government to increase the fee is contradictory to the agreement the body had with Jamiu Ali-Balogun, the Lagos State commissioner for basic and secondary education earlier.

“In 2021, we reached an agreement to increase the feeding fees to N35,000 from N25,000 with the state government through the intervention of the State House of Assembly.

“But on a condition that the money being paid will be run by a boarding schools management committee composed of the parents’ forum, and local schools, which they never adhered to,” he said.

Dawodu explained that the parents’ forum met with the commissioner for basic education last year to ensure that the noticeable loopholes in the boarding students’ welfare and fees were adequately addressed.

“When we had a new commissioner in place last year, we told him that we did not like what the principals were doing by underfeeding our children with non-quality foods.

“In February, we met with the commissioner with our updated feeding analysis which still made the N35,000 adequate as feeding fees, and he promised he will call us to compare notes, before any increase will be effected. He has not called the ministry of education to call us so that we can compare notes, and the fee is increased,” he explained.

The Lagos State government in a letter to the principals of all the model colleges signed by Olufemi Asaolu, director at the basic education services in the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education on behalf of the permanent secretary sighted by BusinessDay announced an increase to all boarding fees from N35,000 to N100,000 effect from September 15, when the 2024/2025 academic session commences.

“I have the directive of the honourable commissioner to inform all public boarding house schools in Lagos State that the government has approved the review of boarding fees payable in all public boarding house schools in Lagos State.

“The new approved fee is N100,000. I’m further directed to inform you that no additional fees of any form should be collected by the schools,” the statement reads in part.

Lagos state governor Sanwolu has over the years been noted with unpopular policies and actions.

Apart from being the highest internally generating revenue state in Nigeria nothing tangible could be pinpointed to where the revenue is going.

For instance Aliki Dangote revealed recently that he a whooping $100 million dollars for the purchase of the land his refineries is located. Up till now nobody is sure where the money is plunged as the state government has taken those questioning the whereabouts of the money to court.