Parents Raise Concerns as School Fees Jump 40%, Petrol Price Nears N1,500/Litre

As primary and secondary schools reopen across the country today parents and guardians are going to contend with paying higher school fees, as most private schools have increased fees by between 30 and 40 per cent, checks by Vanguard have shown.

Even those with wards in public schools in a place, such as Lagos State, who are not in formal employment where they can secure tax clearance certificates, now have to pay N20,100 levy instead of the previous amount of N10,100.

A private secondary school in Ipaja area of Lagos, (identity withheld) increased the tuition fee from N86,000 per term to N124,000.

Similarly, another school in Egbeda area increased tuition fee from N250,000 per term to N320,000.

Reports from across the country indicated a similar pattern in terms of fees and other obligations parents have to meet.

Fuel price hike may hamper school runs

With the frequent increase in the pump price of fuel in the country, some school owners may scale down their school bus system.

With the latest price increase happening a few days ago when parents had been sent bills in July, some school owners are considering sending fresh bills to parents to reflect the economic realities of the day.

In the same vein, more parents may outsource the transportation of their children to and from school to private transporters and cyclists.

A parent, John Aderiye, said the it would not make any economic sense if he had to spend about N10,000 on fuel to take his child to school and back home.

“I have decided to save my self needless stress by contracting a tricyclist in my neighbourhood to take my son to and from school. What I will be spending on that monthly is a fragment of what I would have spent on fuelling my car to do so,” he stated.

Also, a school owner in Alagbado area of Lagos has completely stopped the school bus system.

Now, parents will be responsible for bringing their children to school or let them stay in the hostel.

Her decision, it was gathered, was based on the cost of maintaining the buses and fuel.

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Ademola Busayo

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