EXCLUSIVE: ‘Wicked, insensitive,’ Parents lament as Lagos Govt hikes public school boarding fees from N35k to N100k

Verified information reaching NewsClick Nigeria has it that the Lagos State Government has raised boarding fees for all secondary schools in the state from N35,000 to N100,000 per term.

This was confirmed in a letter addressed to all boarding school principals, signed by the Director of Basic Education Services at the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Olufemi Asaolu, on Friday.

The letter stated, “I have the directive of the Honourable Commissioner to inform all public boarding schools in Lagos State that the State Government has approved a review of the boarding fees payable in all public boarding schools in the state. The newly approved fee is N100,000 only.”

Additionally, the letter emphasized that no other fees should be imposed by the schools, and it confirmed that the resumption date has been set for September 15, 2024.

Meanwhile, the hike has generated reactions from parents who felt government should have announced the increment earlier so they could make adequate preparation. They noted that the timing was too short and could make them not to be able to send their children to school as they cannot afford the new fees coupled with the current economic hardship in the country.

“I just paid my son’s school fees last week and now I’m seeing this. So right now I’m still owing the government N65,000. Where do they expect me to see it? How did they expect me to get that money within this short period? If they knew they were going to increase the fee, why can’t be earlier? Why now that school already resumed? How can you effect an increase 24 hours to resumption?. This is a wicked and ill-timed decision”, a parent, Mrs Kofoworola said.

Another parent who identified himself as Mr Oyetayo said the Lagos State Government is insensitive to the recent happenings in the country and shouldn’t be effecting any increment at this time. “I think the major aim of this government both federal and state is simply to sniff life out of Nigerians. The one at the federal is rolling out policies that has kept Nigerians on their toes since last year that he came to power. This one in Lagos has also started his own. Nothing is affordable again in Nigeria. I have three kids in the boarding school and the reason I brought them there was because of the relatively low fees compared to private schools. Where do I get N300k in this short period when I had already paid the N35k ahead? Why are these people just heartless?,” he fumed.

Meanwhile efforts by NewsClick Nigeria to reach officials of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education for comments was unsuccessful as at press time.