CHECKS by Nigerian Tribune have revealed the frustration of many parents as students are making preparations for resumption for the 2024/2025 academic session on September 9/16, amidst economic hardship.
Stakeholders believe that the education sector in Nigeria is affected by the current economic crisis confronting the nation with attendant high cost of living.
The frustration of many parents, it was gathered, stems from the fact that proprietors of schools across all levels, cashing in on the galloping inflation, have increased their tuition and imposed multiple charges and levies payable by students on resumption.
Besides, parents of students who are in the final year in Secondary Schools have to contend with registration for public examinations conducted by West African Examination Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO) and National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB).
For the new students, parents will have to provide them with new uniforms, sandals, accommodation arrangements, textbooks, clothes, provisions and foodstuffs, which has now been greatly affected by inflation. Some parents, who also revealed that they still owe part of last session school fees of their wards, are also not resting to see that they clear the debt before resumption.
Reacting to the development, the leadership of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and other stakeholders has warned that education must not be taken out of reach of the poor by unnecessary fee hikes and charges, likely to force many children out of school.
To ease the pains of parents in providing education for their children, some stakeholders urge the Federal Government to subsidise education both for those attending private schools and public schools across the country. They also call for the establishment of an Education Bank.
…We’ve no option to fees increment- School-owners
Findings revealed that three distinct approaches played out as they affect school fees increment. Some schools have increased their tuition fees by about 20 to 30 percent since last academic year while some others left their tuition as they were but increased other service charges on extracurricular activities, uniforms, books, and transportation.
Some others, however, plan to increase theirs in the second term after they would have successfully retained their students.
National President of the Association of Formidable Education (AFED), Mr Orji Kanu and the National Secretary of the League of Muslim School Proprietors (LEAMSP), Mr Fatai Raheem, for example, said the cost of running schools in Nigeria is rising at galloping level everyday and that the schools have no choice but to increase the fees and charges to keep afloat.
They told Nigerian Tribune that it is obvious to every Nigerian that the country is in an economic mess with the most critical social services sector, like education, most affected.
Orji particularly said for any private school, especially those low cost schools under his purview that charged students as low as N15,000 tuition fee per term to remain afloat in the business they just had to adjust its charges a little bit on various services.
He said if they should increase their charges according to the general market prices of goods and services in the country, most parents will not be able to pay and might withdraw their children.
According to him, the cost of rent, electricity, transportation, foods, books, waste collection, water supply, and so forth are very high and unaffordable for most schools.
He said that is why private schools are folding up not only in Lagos but across Nigeria and that more would likely close shop before the next academic session.
Also confirming that some private schools have shut down permanently in recent times while some have sold off their buses, Raheem said some schools have decided this time around to give the list of books to students to buy on their own.
“At least, when parents go to market on their own, they will know what the prices of books are” he said, adding that the fear is that. “Many of them may not buy all the books even though they are all important.”
The duo, however, said the government must take concrete action now to change these narratives and let the private schools and other social service providers breathe.
Parents lament
Expectedly, parents are not happy about this high increment in the cost of sending their children to school. They believe that now that they are struggling to feed their families because of the poor economic condition in the country, increment in school fees and books among other educational needs is an additional burden will that be too heavy for them to carry.
However, many of them appear to have resigned to fate, arguing that the government that has failed to stabilise the economy, not the school owners is to be blamed for the development.
Some of them criticised the Federal Government to always be the first when it comes to the issue of school fees increment and charges. They cited an example of the recent document in circulation indicating increment of fees and charges at Unity Colleges to over N300,000 for the first term when academic session resumes in September.
According to them, fee hikes are usually triggered by unfavourable government policies, pointing out that increment in school fees in the Federal universities and Unity Colleges, electricity tariffs, fuel pump price, and the recent increase in the price of international passports as a few examples.
Mrs Anabel Inuwa, a civil servant, lamented that she already knew the pressure that was awaiting her as a single mother as schools resume soon, saying before the schools vacated for the last academic session, the children’s institutions had given them letters of increment of school fees, textbooks, because the schools supply the materials.
She disclosed that catering for the eldest child who is currently in the University of Abuja, which is in session, is enormous. “When he came home last week, I told him that the price of Indomie noodles has sky-rocketed and that I could no longer afford it; so, he had to make do with spaghetti. We have to cut down on so many things because his three siblings will be resuming school this month. He was not happy but that is the frustration we face now as parents because of the harsh economic condition.”
Inuwa, however, said she was hopeful that the new minimum wage is implemented this month, as that will go a long way in helping to get some food stuffs and few other requirements for the resumption of the children to school.
Another parent Mr Adekola Ajala, a printer, and father of three, said the economic situation of the nation is quite challenging for parents across board, saying “everyone is affected, although some are more affected than others.”
“As the long holiday is running out and resumption day is approaching every parent is worried as the prices of textbooks, stationeries and food stuff soar. Everyone is looking for a way out, so arises is the idea of collecting used textbooks from out of the box sets in the children’s school to ease the pressure you are saddled with as parents.”
According to him, the sudden fuel price hike at fuel stations is ridiculous and unbelievable, adding that this has led to built up queues at fuel stations that sell at regulated prices. “The fact remains that we all have to keep going and not stop. Where there is a will, there is a way. May the good Lord turn the situation of this nation around for good.”
Speaking in the same vein, Mrs Gloria Okeke, a civil servant, a mother of four, declared that everyone is feeling the hit of this economic hardship.
According to her, the weight of the pressure is felt more now that the children are about to resume for a new academic session. The school fees have been increased or reviewed from time to time especially now that the country has started battling with fuel issues again.
“To give your children a three square meal this holiday period has not been easy, let alone getting them ready for resumption. The cost of food is very high now. This is a new session when new textbooks are bought, which I’m sure the prices would have doubled up, compared to what it was during the last session.
“Another thing to put into consideration is transportation; we will have to increase the transport fare to get the children across to school everyday since the school bus arrangement is now purse-draining. To be honest with you, we still owe one of the children’s last session school fees, due to financial pressures here and there.
“In regards to resumption, we are trying to manage what is available at the family level, so that everyone and needs can be catered for in such a way that one will not affect the other. These are the days when you have to take loans to pay school fees, especially for the children in the higher institution. As it is, everything concerning this resumption is in the hand of God,” she said.
Book publishers also justify price increase
Giving insight into the book industry and why prices of books have equally jumped up like every other item in the market, Mr Emmanuel Abimbola, who is the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA), said the increasing cost of production in book industry especially as regards to cost of importation is the major factor.
According to him, virtually every material needed to produce books in Nigeria is imported and at high cost, associated with high cost of dollar exchange and the import duties.
He said: “We import machines, papers, ink and every other item that goes into book publishing. We also pay heavily on electricity. It is only labour that we get locally.”
Abimbola, just like Orji and Raheem, also urged the Federal Government to pay attention to the book industry and save it and the education sector by extension from degeneration.
NUT faults fee hike in public schools
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), says that the federal or state governments do not have any justification to increase tuition or charges payable by students in public funded institutions across the country.
Secretary-General of NUT, Dr Mike Ike Ene in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, warned that increasing fees or charges will put more pressure on parents and those sponsoring their personal education.
He noted that every parent including the ‘rich’ is finding it difficult to cope in view of the harsh economic condition in the country and it will be irrational to think of increasing school fees or levies payable by students.
He recalled that immediately members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) suspended their last strike action, a lot of Federal Universities unilaterally increased their tuition or charges more than 100 percent leading to protests by students in the affected institutions.
According to him, increment of school fees and levies could force some students drop out of school thereby increasing the number of out of school children population.
He said: “Anybody that thinks that education is not important should try ignorance. Be that as it may, I do not think that it is rational for any public institution to increase school or charges as the case may be.
“You know that this increment that is making waves now started immediately ASUU suspended the last strike. Immediately after the strike, all universities increased their tuition fees or charges more than 100 percent and there were protests here and there.”
He noted that if education is indeed free in Nigeria, parents will only be asked to cater for the provision of their children’s textbooks, uniforms, sandals and transportation of their children.
According to him, providing free education means that the government should also be able to feed the children in school twice.
“When they say that there is free education, I laughed, because even in Freetown nothing is free. The only way you can tell somebody that education is free is for you to feed the child from the time he or she enters school. You provide breakfast and lunch because that is what the child needs. Also, you buy textbooks, uniforms and virtually everything and you provide all the required amenities, while the parents pay nothing.
“However, as we are speaking, teachers still request for chalks from the students because in some rural areas teachers still write on the blackboard.
“Currently, it is only the private schools increasing school fees. One fact that people should take to heart is the public schools available to them. The teachers are eminently qualified; the minimum standard to teach in Nigeria public schools is the National Certificate in Education(NCE). I’m bold to tell you that there are teachers in public primary schools who have Masters, so why running to private schools. Parents who seek the services of private schools should be able to pay for them, he said.
The NUT scribe advocated for establishment of an Education Bank, for parents and individuals to access funds in supporting education of their wards, maintaining that everybody is crying and parents would be the happiest if they could get that kind of relief.
According to him, that is what is done all over the world. “You go there, you take money and when you finish, they monitor you and the moment you start doing something, they start withdrawing it. It is like a revolving loan, it should be a revolving bank so that nobody will be left out,” Ike Ene said.
He argued that the menace of out-of-school children could easily be resolved through such a bank by providing resources for the training of such Almajiris and other out-of-school children “then monitor them when they start doing something you get the money back into the system”.
Approved fees/charges for Unity Schools in circulation fake-FG
The Federal Government however in response to criticism from Nigerians over an attempt to increase fees/charges at Unity Colleges, for new students going into Senior Secondary (SS1), said the document circulating on the approved fees/charges in the sum of N386,000.00 is fake.
Hajia Binta Abdulkadir Director, Senior Secondary Education, in a rebuttal statement, said: “The attention of the Ministry has been drawn to the circulation of a malicious document amongst Parents purported to have emanated from the Office of the Director, Senior Secondary Education Department of the Federal Ministry of Education, Abuja.
“This document is fraudulent and fake as it did not emanate from the Office of the Director, Senior Secondary Education Department.
“It also contradicts the Federal Ministry of Education approved fees/charges for Federal Unity Colleges (FUCs). The highest fees/charges paid by students in FUCs is the sum of One hundred thousand Naira (N100,000.00) only and this is for new students which includes Boarding fees, Uniform, Text books, Exercise books and other items. Tuition fee in all FUCs is free.
“Again, the purported document did not carry the correct address of the Office of the Director, Senior Secondary Education Department including the numerous flaws and terrible spelling mistakes observed in respect of some items on the bill.
“This document is an attempt to spread misinformation and cause confusion among the public, parents of FUCs, especially the new parents.
“In conclusion, this document purportedly from FME and the Office of the Director, Senior Secondary Education Department on the approved fees/charges in the sum of Three hundred and eighty-six thousand Naira (N386,000.00) is a scam. The FME therefore is informing the general public to discountenance this document.
“Any individual who is in doubt of the FME approved fees/charges for FUCs should check the website of the Ministry or contact any of the Principals of the FUCs nearest to them”.
Student loan
For some students of tertiary institutions including public universities, colleges of education and polytechnics, respite may have come their way following the commencement of the implementation of the students loan scheme introduced by the Federal Government.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has commenced disbursement of loans to students who applied for the student loan. While some institutions already in session have received the payment for institutional fees of the applicants, payment for upkeep, a monthly stipend of N20,000 is made direct to individual students’ accounts. NELFUND has also explained that once a new academic session begins, disbursement would be made to institutions and students as the institutions reopen.
Minister of Education Professor Tahir Mamman, while giving an update on the student loan scheme revealed that the disbursement of funds to students and institutions has commenced and state-wide and stakeholder engagement for the take-off is ongoing. According to him, so far, 297,179 students have registered, 27,667 students have been paid and N2, 946,927,155.00 have been disbursed to students and institutions.
Stakeholders have, however, called on the Federal Government to establish an Education Bank, where parents could get loans for education of their children and wards in primary and secondary schools respectively.
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