●●●high fees, transport fare blamed for trend
Student of private schools
By Akeem Atoyebi
Nnamdi Obiechina has always been grateful to God for his mercies, ever since he established Grace Abound Secondary School in 2011, starting initially as tutorial classes for students preparing for NECO, WAEC and JAMB examinations; he has never for once regretted setting up the school. Located in Abule Egba , a Lagos suburb, this September, according to him , he witnessed a shock treatment at the resumption when the students’ population dropped by 30 percent causing financial disruption.
‘’I normally charged N30,000 for the school transport but shortly before the holiday I increased the sum to N45,000 because of the rising fuel price, the school fee for senior classes was N80,000 but we also moved it to N120,000 in line with the new reality in the country. To my surprise about 30 percent drop in students’ population was witnessed, and when we called the parents all of them attributed their action to increasing hardship. These students were taken to public schools’’, he explained to National Waves.
Obiechina’s experience is not different from Excellence International School, Ile Iwe bus stop in Ikotun, by the neighbourhood standard, it is an elite school with high standards of teaching, but Olumide Adeyanju, the school proprietor is not in his convivial self according to him. ‘’Our students’ population has declined to 40 percent , our loss is the gain of public schools in Ikotun. Trouble started when the school authorities sent letters to parents shortly before September resumption seeking their understanding for new increment in school fees and transport fares. The increment is just 60 percent, and we had no alternatives. We just discovered that a sizable number of students only came to collect transfer letters to public schools citing inability to pay the new fees. We have stopped school transportation because more than 40 percent of students have opted out of the arrangement. What I discovered is that parents withdrew their children and wards to public schools closer to their residences.’’
Many schools are not smiling again, as one parent puts it. At the close of the session in July, schools handed over to parents the results of their children, and most importantly, the prospectus for the new academic session, featuring among others, a staggering increment in fees, in most cases.
“My headache is not the 30 percent increment in school fees, and other hidden fees being charged, but the ultimatum by the school to pay on or before September 30th to secure classes for my two daughters,” Ajibade Alebiosu, a banker told National Waves .
Fuming at what he described as insensitivity of current realities and callousness by the school management, Alebiosu lamented further that some of the increments are indirect extortion by the schools and should be probed.
“I confronted the school owner and she explained that the high fees are necessary to keep the school gate open, pay teachers, maintain the facilities and provide daily learning aids.
“But she forgot that we parents are close to some teachers, who are also parents. The teachers are not paid well, the Parents Teachers Association often sponsors projects here, the owners obtain loans in disguise for the school, but for private use, among other sharp practices.
“The Lagos Ministry of Education should probe some of these expensive private schools, what are they using the money for, when quality is still lacking?” he said.
Also decrying the huge financial burden posed by the new academic session, Akinola Adewumi , a small-scale entrepreneur, lamented that the situation is no longer win-win for the parents and schools, like before.
According to him, the schools care only about money and if you complain, they will point you to schools in Abuja, Lekki and Ikoyi, where parents pay in Dollars.
“It is sad. I knew that my children were moving to new classes this September, but not additional N80,000 on school fees paid last session, additional N50,000 on books, additional N30,000 on games, N60,000 for school bus, from N35,000 and increment on everything. That was the reason I withdrew my children and brought them to the public school near my house. I later discovered that the school has more qualified teachers than the private school they were attending before. I can now sigh in relief. Many of these private schools are nothing but extortionist racket.’’
Alebiosun noted that ‘’many private small scale businesses, including many bakeries around my axis here in Orile Agege have closed shop in the last one year as a result of the harsh economy, but not schools, they are always open because they make money from all manner of fees they charge and extortions from struggling parents, who do not want to be ridiculed for not sending their children to school.
Speaking on the win-win situation that gave parents a breathing space in the past, Fakeye decried that most private schools now insist that books must be paid along with the school fees, instead of allowing parents to buy them cheaper at bookshops and are now making some expensive excursions compulsory for the students.
He decried the extortionist tendencies of most of these private schools. Before I withdrew my children from the private school they were attending, I had cause to check the list and prices of the text books they were asked to purchase from the school bookshop for this session and discovered that I can use half of that money charged by the school to buy them at the open market. I pleaded, the school management refused, but that would have cut down the huge expenses. Again, I was paying for an expensive excursion for one of the daughters this coming session and the school said it is compulsory, but I’m happy I relocated them to the public school, and secured a home tutor at a fair price.’’
Edward Adaji the proprietor of Montessori International School at Oju Ore, Sango Ota, Ogun State justified the transition in school fees from N250, 000 per term to N400, 000, saying ‘’every parent knows that the least qualified teacher here is higher national diploma holder, we have master’s degree holders, good facilities and we maintain steady and consistent excellent results yearly in NECO and WAEC and given the high cost of things in line with harsh operating environment the new fees template is justified’’, he said in a chat with this medium.
But to Dolapo Abdul, a parent who recently withdrew her daughter from the school there was no justification for the new fees.
“I would have welcomed an increment to meet operation cost if it had been around N300, 000 but to move the fee to N400, 000 has no justification. I had to withdraw my daughter to another public school that collects N150, 000, and I’m not regretting it because the school is equally good.
On his part, Seyi Abimbola told this medium that he changed his son’s school to another private school closer to his house and less expensive. “I cannot kill myself. The school he was attending before in terms of transport cost me N600 every day but with the increase in fuel price it now costs N2000 to ply the same route to and fro. Where will I get that kind of money, so I had no choice but to change his school. The pressure is mounting and the money is not there, even the increased minimum wage does not make sense, people, especially relatives, do not lend money again. So, I have resolved to take it easy, the alternative was what I did by moving him to a less expensive school closer to my house.’’
Many parents today are in a similar situation with Abimbola , with bills mounting, yet no money to pay.
“The bills are much, no money and the little we get goes to feeding. You know how expensive food items are now, yet landlords are not smiling here in Lagos, and then, schools add to burden with fee hikes every term.
“My son’s school proprietress insulted me this September. She told me to go and open my own school when I asked for the breakdown of the fees for the new session, because it was double the fees paid last year. I have since taken my son to another school, which is even cheaper with better standards,” Ike Emenike, a clergy man told this medium.
Many parents told this medium that this questionable increment cuts across all fees, with most parents questioning the rationale, from basic tuition fees, uniforms, books, sports, cultural day, end-of-year party, excursion, bus fare, book fair, ICT/coding, and many others.
Emenike advised many parents to look out for good government schools to save the cost.
According to him, ‘’quality is not all about private schools as many public schools are beating private ones in educational contests around the country.
“We need to change our psychology and shaming of public schools as poor standards, there are good ones. The teachers there are good, it is just the little enforcement of commitment to their duties that we need.
Students from public schools still get admissions into universities even abroad,” he noted.
Dr, Johnson Opseitan , an educational psychologist told National Waves that sending children to expensive private schools has become a status symbol for some Nigerians and the schools know and are taking advantage of it.
“Private schools are competing for the most expensive school in town, and this is obvious with the hike in fees this new session. But they do that because parents think that the more expensive a school is, the better the standard. That is a lie.’’
For him, parents who cannot afford the high fees should withdraw their children to schools they can afford as what matters most is the attitudinal disposition of the child to learn. How many professors in Nigeria today had the luxury of private schools?
“No matter the foreign university you attended, you must meet those from state universities at the law school. Nigerian Society of Engineers welcomes every engineer as long as you are trained and certified to practice. The university you attended does not matter again, but your useful input. Parents should focus on skills and not on the expensive schools because skills are what employers of labour are looking for. Just send your children to schools you can afford,” he advised.
Yewande Osiboyejo said to cut on the high fees, he withdrew his son to a nearby school where he is not paying for the school bus in his son’s new school.
“I got him a school closer home; he will walk for 10 minutes to the school. I have saved on school bus fares,” he said.
Many of these schools are defending the hike in fees.
“We all know how prices are increasing every day. Our suppliers, from books, uniforms, and other learning materials notified us earlier on their new rates and advised us to adjust accordingly,” Arinola Ojelabi, proprietoress of Shining Star Secondary School, Dalemo, and Alakuko explained.
The hike, according to her, is a reflection of the harsh economy.
“We are still expanding our school and that requires money, some schools run on rented properties, we pay to the government for renewals and authoritisations, and we must pay staff salaries every month, whether school is on holiday or not,” she said further.
