A good number of concerned parents of Unity College students in the country have called on the Federal Government to revisit the sudden increase in fees for their children in a bid to make education accessible and affordable for all.
The parents made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.
As earlier reported by MUK TV, the Federal Government, through a circular issued to principals of unity schools across the country, increased the fees for new students from N45,000 to N100,000.
Mrs. Mitchelle Uzor, a small business owner, told NAN that there was no way children of low-income earners could afford such bills, considering the current economic reality in the country.
According to her, the unity schools remain the last hope for the masses to acquire a standard education without necessarily breaking the bank.
She said the news on the increase was a blow to her, as she had been saving and preparing for her son, who just graduated from primary school and was ready to gain admission to one of the colleges in Lagos.
“I really don’t know what to do now. I am in a state of confusion because I cannot afford that kind of money.
“Times are already hard, ordinarily. We can barely feed ourselves properly, and yet we are faced with this kind of news.
“A situation whereby there is no more hope for access to good public schools where we can still find quality education for our children is unacceptable.
“As Nigerians, the only thing that we can gain as proud citizens of this country should be quality education, but as we are going, all that seems to fizzle out with all these developments.
“It is not what we expected at this time,” she said.
Mrs. Funmilayo Olubiyo, a civil servant, decried the development and called for a review of the fees.
According to her, the current economic crunch is already too much of a burden to bear.
She noted that there was a need for the government to consider low-income earners, such as bricklayers, vulcanizers, and other petty traders, before implementing such policies.
“What is happening currently in terms of an increase in fees in unity schools and universities is, to me, uncalled for and ill-timed.
“Those of us with children in unity schools and even universities such as the University of Lagos are still struggling to come to terms with the reality of all these increases in fees.
“How do we cope with all these? Does it mean we should all withdraw our children from school?
“These public schools have been our last resort. At least, we can still boast of the level of education at these schools compared to some others around the country.
“We try to carry on, within our limited resources, ensuring that our children are educated.
“Now, with all these hikes in fees, where do we run to? What becomes of these children if most of them are denied access because their parents can no longer afford it?
“The government should please do all it can to reverse the situation. Of course, we must find ways of engaging these young ones meaningfully, as every idle mind is a potential workshop for the devil.
“The country is already struggling with a lot of vices among these ones,” she stated.
According to Olubiyo, it is understandable if the government wants to find means of upgrading the schools by reviewing the fees upward, but it is wrong to make them completely out of the reach of the masses.
She urged the government to divert funds removed from fuel subsidies and other sources to take care of the education sector, as this remained the only legacy it could give the people.
Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, Deputy National President, of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), also called on the Federal Government to revisit the increase in fees in its institutions as a means of giving succor to Nigerian parents.
According to him, the removal of subsidies, for instance, is what some Nigerians have been yearning for, and the government, in return, must reciprocate the removal by seeking means of cushioning the effects.
He noted that tampering with fees at federal universities and unity colleges was uncalled for, especially in the face of the ripple effects caused by the removal of subsidies.
“The President must act now. There may be chaos following these hikes, especially the one at the University of Lagos.
“The government should intervene by directing all these fees to be returned to the status quo. Education is the thing the masses are trying to hang on to now, and if you make it unaffordable, then it means we are in for a lot of challenges ahead,” he said.
Reacting to the development, Hajia Binta Abdulkadir, Director, Senior Secondary Education Department, called for calm.
She said that the increase in fees for the unity schools was basically for new students (JSS1) for the first term only.
Abdulkadir said that the breakdown of the fees captured uniforms and books, among other key requirements.
She noted that the fees were for JSS 1, JSS 2, SS1, and SS2.
The circular also shows that fees for the third term for SS3 students are N55,000, while JSS 3 students would pay N46,000 (boarding fees inclusive).
For the first term, SS3 students are required to pay N117,000, inclusive of boarding fees and fees for two of their final examinations.
JSS3 students, in the first term, are expected to pay N87,000, inclusive of boarding fees and BECE fees.
