The Lagos State government has said it had no control over the school fees charged by any private school operating in the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Jamiu Alli- Balogun, made this position known on Thursday while fielding questions from newsmen during the ministerial press briefing organised by the state government to commemorate the first anniversary of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
He spoke as a response when asked to react to the recent announcement by Chaterhouse, a newly established independent British primary school in Lekki, Lagos, charging N42 million per annum as school fee per pupil.
While expressing surprise himself that any school in Nigeria could charge such a huge amount of money as school fees just to train primary school pupils, the commissioner pointed out that each private school has the power to determine the fees to charge their students.
He said private schools charge fees mostly on the basis of what they believe they have and the service to render and on conviction to get patronage while parents on their parts also have the choice of schools to enrol their children based on their own considerations and especially affordability.
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He, therefore, emphasised that parents have choice to make on schools to send their children.
He, however, declared that even though the state government always encourages private participation in education at all levels, it would not condone any private school flouting rules and regulations guiding their operations.
