Parents face tough times as schools raise fees

UNILAG prices jump from N19,000 to N190,250, and the FG raises Unity Colleges’ tuition.

Private schools intend to raise tuition even further, but a 50% increase is no longer feasible.

Some educational institutions have announced major hikes in tuition and other fees in response to the nation’s rising cost of living, while others plan to do so in order to deal with the effects of the loss of the subsidy on petrol.

With the current academic year coming to an end for elementary and secondary schools and the calendar of university institutions being disrupted by ongoing strikes and crises, this is putting parents on edge.

On Friday, elementary and secondary schools in Lagos and some other states concluded the current academic year. Some of these institutions warned parents and guardians of students to expect a considerable increase in tuition when the following academic year’s session starts in September.

The Federal Government, which through the Federal Ministry of Education announced an increase in school fees for new students into its secondary schools, also known as Federal Unity Colleges, from N19,000 to N100,000, was in the lead among school operators who had announced tuition fee increases.

ADF/120/DSSE/I, dated May 25, 2023, and addressed to all principals of Federal Unity Colleges, included this information. It was issued by the ministry’s office of the Director of Senior Secondary Education Department.

The Director of Senior Secondary Education, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, signed a circular titled “Approved fees/ charges for Federal Unity Colleges (1st term) for new students” that stipulates that new students would now be required to pay N100,000 rather than the previous N45,000.

The most recent fee/charge increment will have an impact on almost all elements and activities of the schools, including tuition and boarding, uniform, textbooks, workbooks, prospectuses, caution fees, identity cards, stationery, clubs and societies, sports, extra lessons, and insurance, among other things.

The memo stated, in part, “Please be reminded that the ministry has approved only the under-listed fees and charges for all Unity Colleges.”

Similar to this, the University of Lagos, Akoka administration reportedly raised the tuition costs for students.

This was said in a statement released by the UNILAG section of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities on July 20, 2023, following a meeting with the institution’s senior administration.

In a statement, the union announced that costs for undergraduate students would rise in the following academic year.

The institution’s students used to pay N19,000 in tuition, but the administration has increased this to N190,250 for students studying medicine, and N140,250 for courses that require labs and studios.

SSANU reports that on Thursday, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, met with representatives of the three non-academic staff unions to discuss matters pertaining to the welfare of their members.

“The proposed costs for UNILAG undergraduate students were revealed during the meeting. The College of Medicine will pay N190,250, while students without access to labs and studios will pay N100,750, those who do will pay N140,250.

Rasaki Yusuf, the SSANU representative at the meeting, requested a rebate for staff members who had children enrolled at the institution, but the vice chancellor emphasised that the new fees were set nationally and could not be altered for certain groups of students.

However, Ogunsola provided the opportunity for employees to pay in installments with the requirement that they complete payment one month prior to the end-of-the-year tests.

Later, the UNILAG management released a statement confirming the development.

The statement read, “The University of Lagos Management has reviewed the obligatory fees (mandatory charges for an academic session/year) of new and returning undergraduate students at the university after careful deliberations with its stakeholders (students, parents/guardians, staff unions, and alumni, among others).

The fee adjustment, which will become effective in the first semester of the 2023–2024 academic year, was made in consideration of the current economic climate and the university’s need to be able to fulfil its obligations, among others, to its employees, students, and municipal service providers.

It’s important to point out that the university hasn’t raised its required fees in recent years. In order to ensure that students have the best learning experience possible, management kindly asks for the cooperation and support of students as well as of all other interested parties.

operators of private schools
According to Chief Yomi Otubela, President of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, the elimination of the petrol subsidy had a significant impact on the education industry and will continue to have an impact in the months to come.

He asserts that the majority of private school owners are struggling with the exodus of students and the resignation of teachers, who are finding it harder and harder to commute to work.

According to Otubela, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH, “We have a lot of parents taking their kids out of school because they can’t afford the transport costs or even the tuition.” We have teachers who have submitted their resignation letters because their take-home salary no longer allows them to travel between home and work.

In some cases, suppliers of one type of material—vendors—have raised the price of their products. For example, publishers increased the cost of books from N25,000 to N65,000 for all volumes required on average in all levels. Because individuals can no longer fuel their generators and the solar system can only power so much, there are situations where technology is becoming useless.

The cost of renting a bus to parents has tripled, and there is a lot of ambiguity about what the actual cost will be given the rising inflation, according to a report that many schools are selling off their buses. In the private school industry as a whole, there is a lot of unpredictability. We surveyed experts, and everyone is starting to predict that many private schools would close their doors and some will lower their standards of instruction in an effort to survive the crisis.
He continued, pointing out that some parents had already made the decision to keep their kids at home even before the fuel price hike, showing that parents were aware of the situation and the ground realities.

The majority of kids will miss school since most parents can’t handle transport again, according to Otubela. We’re not just focusing on the cost of tuition in this case. The children’s clothing, including their uniforms, bags, and textbooks, are already impacted. Parents are therefore informed and have already decided whether to homeschool their children or keep them at home till the family’s finances are steady.

“Nobody can forecast the likelihood of an increase in percentage because of the uncertainty. To figure out how to alleviate the current crisis, the school management is convening and retreating separately. When the subsidy was first eliminated, an increase in transport costs of between 40% and 50% was encouraged.

“However, with the further increase in the price at the pump and the inflation in the open market, no one can now determine the percentage increase even though the bill taken home by the students shows 40% to 50%, there may be a need to review that further in line with new fuel price and the rising prices of goods and services,” the statement continued.

By developing mass transportation buses specifically for students in nursery and primary schools, he urged the government to get in and improve both the private school market and state-owned schools.

One (bus) cannot be attached to a school, according to Otubela, but it can be attached to a site that will make it simple for students to walk to nearby schools. The cost of transport will decrease if this is implemented nationwide.

In order to reduce the rising cost of providing education, the government should also establish an education bank that will focus on providing revolving loans to operators in the sector, including educators, teachers, publishers, furniture makers, solar energy system providers, generator system providers, instructional material providers, and the like, at a single-digit interest rate.

“The government ought to support teacher capacity building in both public and private institutions. All teachers should participate in federally supported capacity building at least once per semester, and this should be a requirement for them to continue working as teachers.

Paul Edoh, the publicity secretary of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools in Abuja, stated the same thing, warning parents to expect at least a 10% increase in tuition costs starting with the 2023/2024 academic year.

He said to one of our reporters, “There hasn’t been any official statement from the FCT and the local government chapters of the NAPPS with regards to the aforementioned, but schools in rural areas and some schools in the city centre have already resolved that. By September, there will be changes in school fees by way of upward reviews to help balance the overhead cost and day-to-day operations of the schools.

There is no uniformity regarding fee increments, but some local towns under AMAC jurisdiction are looking at a 5% increase and others at a 10% increase.

“Sure, you are aware of the present many taxes being suffered by school owners,” Edoh stated in response to a question on the difficulties facing private school owners. In addition to the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the FCT Administration, area councils are also requesting taxes. Do not disregard the ongoing annual payment owed to the Department of Quality Assurance.

In response to the question of whether parents had been made aware of the walk proposal, he responded, “Sure, written communications have been issued to them and some schools have even held PTA meetings on it too.”

Inquiries on the future of parents were not answered by Haruna Danjuma, national president of the National Parent-Teacher Association, as of the time this story was filed.

Under the condition of anonymity, a school owner in Ogun State’s Ibafo district stated that it had become obvious that private school operators would have to raise tuition fees in order to remain solvent. He also stated that the management of his group of schools had come to an agreement to increase tuition fees by 10% to 15%.

The owner explained, “The 15% increment will be for scientific students as some of the prices of some of the things they will utilise in the lab for their practical application have increased. As an illustration, some of the reagents we used to purchase for N3,000 are now going for N9,000.

“The costs will increase by at least 10% for students studying art and business. Three years ago, a rim of 75g A4 paper cost N4,000; it steadily escalated to N11,000 last year and N16,000 earlier this year. My supplier informed me that it has increased to N26,000 on Wednesday by phone. When the petrol subsidy was eliminated, I had to cover the additional costs and kept the school bus fare at N30,000 per term; but, the following session, it must increase or parents would have to find another way to get their kids to school.

In addition, since teachers and other employees are also struggling, we need to raise their pay. Additionally, we’ll have to offer discounts to staff members whose kids attend our school. To prevent parents from withdrawing their children from our school or failing to make payments, we must be careful not to place an undue strain on them.

worried parents

Sandra Ugo, a parent living in Lekki, Lagos, voiced concern over the increase in public school tuition and questioned what would happen when her two children moved to higher levels in a prestigious private school in September.

“My husband and I have discussed it, and we will continue to do so in the coming days. One of the options we are thinking about is taking the kids out of their current school and looking for one that is more reasonable, while I will have to clean my books and tutor them at home since we might not be able to pay a private home tutor,” she said.

Mr. Gbenga Adeyanju, a resident of Lagos’ Magboro district, claimed that the country’s predicament had already overwhelmed him and that he was expecting further rises in his children’s school costs.

According to Adeyanju, “I work for a private company, which is likewise having trouble due to the current circumstances in the country. In Osun State, where my first child attends college, cooking is not permitted; instead, students must purchase their meals from vendors. Concerns regarding the amount of food served have been raised on the parents’ forum for the past two years, and I have no doubt that the vendors will now further cut the supply or raise their costs in response.

“My other two kids attend private secondary schools in Lagos and Ogun states. The student in Lagos is moving on to Senior Secondary School 3 the following session, and I’m already terrified of the costs, which will cover tuition, housing in a dorm, food, books, sports, PTA dues, and WASSCE fees. The school will also request payment for the three terms that make up the session at the beginning of the academic year, following tradition. Where can I find it and the money for his brother’s JSS2 tuition?

“My wife has been the one attempting to calm me down, but whenever I think of the big burden ahead, I get depressed,” the man said as his blood pressure was already becoming higher.

Mr. Innocent Agbo, a Lagos-based engineer, stated that the institutions where two of his children were enrolled were expected to raise tuition the following semester and that his salary has stagnated over the years despite the expense of supporting his family continuing to rise.

He urged the government to recognise the suffering of Nigerians and implement policies to lower living expenses and fuel prices, noting that the country’s current economic conditions have eliminated the middle class.