Kunle Adelabu
-Increment is inevitable – LASG
Parents of students across the model colleges in Lagos State, have insisted that the government must reverse the boarding fees before they could allow their children to resume to school.
The government announced a few days ago that the boarding school fees have increased from N35, 000 to N100, 000, and this has generated protests with parents calling the decision outrageous.
The government on the other hand, in a statement on Monday, stated that the increment is inevitable, adding that the hike is to ensure better welfare of the students.
On Monday, the protesting parents took over model colleges’ main entrances to expressed their opposition to the government’s decision.
At the Oriwu Junior and Senior Model Colleges, Ikorodu and Lagos State Civil Service Junior and Senior Model Colleges, Igbogbo, protesting parents converged and stayed all day, protesting and demanding for reversal of the fees.
They were seen singing solidarity songs such as: ‘’We no gree o , we no go gree, N100, 000, we no go gree” and ”Solidarity forever’’.
They also carried placards with inscriptions like: ‘No Reversal, No Resumption’, ‘Say No To Increment Feeding for our Children from N35, 000 to N100, 000’, ‘Lagos Raises Boarding Fees from N35, 000 to N100, 000’, ‘N35, 000 to N100, 000 is Outrageous, ‘No To N100, 000 Yes To N35, 000’, ‘SOS: We Can’t Afford N100, 000. On N35, 000 We Stand’, ‘No To Reduction, No Resumption’, and ‘35k or No Resumption’ among others.
A parent with a child in SSS 1 and 2 in Oriwu Senior Model College, Ikorodu, Mr Tunde Akande, said that the government is insensitive to plights of parents by increasing the fee to N100, 000.
“The reason we are here is purposely because of the increment in school fees from N35, 000 to N100, 000. This is not making sense. Do they want to kill us?”, he asked rhetorically.
“We are not ATM for God’s sake. N35, 000 in three month is N35 million if you are having 1000 students in a school, do they want to kill us with the hardship in the country now – fuel, food scarcity. You can name them.
“It is not advisable to do this. Please, Governor Sanwo – Olu, we are begging you; House of Assembly, we are begging you; Council Chairmen, we are begging you. We are begging all of you to reduce the fee back to N35, 000.
“Even, the N35, 000 is not convenient, we are only trying to pay the money. If you are earning N100, 000 per month, how do you remove N100, 000 to pay for school fee, this is without transport fare and feeding of yourself and family.
“The government should find a solution to this and they should let it be just N35, 000”, he pleaded.
Mrs Bisi Fatai whose son is resuming into JSS one, alleged that the government failed to tell parents of new students who are just being admitted into JSS one, until 48 hours to their resumption.
“They refused to tell the amount to be paid for the school fees until about 24 hours to resumption of our children when each parent has expended almost N240, 000 to buy items that they are taking to government schools.
“When it is 24 hours to their resumption, that was when they announced increment to N100, 000, which we have decided not to agree with and government must answer us. It is our demands and rights.
“We are not going to beg, this is the right time for Nigerians to speak up. Before registering the children, we have paid tax of N10, 100 for the children. We paid almost N17, 000 at the General Hospital”.
She also demanded access to their children’s hostel once in a while to know the state of their living in schools.
At the gate of the Lagos State Civil Service Junior and Senior Model Colleges, Igbogbo, parents who have also laid siege insisted on reversal of the fees back to N35, 000, before they would allow their children to resume.
One of the parents lamented that the N100, 000 is on the high side considering the economic situation and pleaded with the governor to reverse it to N35, 000
“We, the parents of students in Lagos State Civil Service Junior and Senior Model Colleges, Igbogbo, are crying against this outrageous increment. The increment is on the high side. We are struggling. We are the people selling pure water and collecting LAP and Grooming monies to pay school fees.
“We are not millionaires; we are begging Governor Sanwo – Olu, to come to our aid. The boarding fees is on the high side and we cannot afford to pay a fee of N100, 000. We can only withstand the N35, 000”, she pleaded.
The aggrieved parents later stormed the Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA council secretariat to stage their protests during the commissioning of the ultra – modern Legislative and Administrative Complex named after Asiwaju Olorunfunmi Basorun, a chieftain of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) and former Secretary to the Lagos State Government.
The Council Chairman, Builder Sesan Daini, however, pleaded with the disgruntled parents and assured them that their demands will be presented to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Meanwhile, in statement by the Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Ganiu Lawal, on Monday, he said that the ministry is aware that a few parents have shown some concerns about the inevitable increase in boarding fees in the state’s model colleges, stating that the decision to increase obviously has not been an easy one.
The Ministry, however, reassured all parents that the welfare of their children remains a top priority, noting that the Lagos State Government continues to provide free education in 1,021 Primary Schools, 369 Junior Secondary and 329 Senior Secondary Schools which, according to him, include the 32 model colleges across the State, which are Boarding Schools, except, Vetland Junior and Senior Secondary Schools.
The Statement also explained that enrolment of a child into a Boarding School is an individual choice of every parent, and as such, they are expected to pay boarding fees at the beginning of every school term.
The ministry noted further that the boarding fees are used basically for feeding, janitorial and other cost-related miscellaneous to keep the students in the hostels per term.
It also added that the schools from this fees, also take care of energy costs of fuel and cooking gas, which are essential for preparing meals for boarding students.
According to the statement, “the concern of ensuring better welfare for our model college students, who are about one per cent of the entire basic and secondary school student population in public schools in the state, necessitated the increase in boarding fees.
“The model college students enjoy all other privileges of free education vis a vis provision of education infrastructure, free tuition, technology support (free devices) provision of adequate security in schools and payment of terminal examination fees (LASG pays WAEC fees for all public school students).
“The #35,000 boarding fees being paid since 2021 are not realistic in 2024. Ideally, none of our parents will testify to the reasonability of feeding a child of 12 to 18 years with 35,000 for three months.
“Noting that a comparative analysis of Federal and State public schools with boarding facilities across the country shows that the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education is still very considerate of the reviewed rate despite the incomparable cost of food and other expenses.
“Nutritious food is not just for physical growth but also mental alertness. The Ministry certainly don’t want our students in boarding schools to look gaunt and lack the skill of critical thinking.
“The government takes responsibility for the health and well-being of the students while in school. To do this will require the full cooperation of all stakeholders. Our parents should show understanding for the sake of the children”.
