School resumption Parents groan as proprietors hike fees, textbooks, uniforms. Parents regret the decision of several school owners to increase the tuition owed by each student when elementary and secondary schools across the nation restart for the 2022–2023 academic session.
Due to the present financial crisis, the DAILY POST says that prices for textbooks, uniforms, sports apparel, and other items have gone up.
The majority of schools have policies prohibiting parents from purchasing books or uniforms elsewhere; instead, they are required to do it as soon as the students return.
Parents and guardians who spoke with our reporter claimed they were thinking of transferring their kids to a different school since they couldn’t raise the tuition.
Some others said that sending their children to government-run schools would be “the worst option,” as they (the parents) had gone to public schools themselves.
“I just left my grandson’s school,” I said. He is in second grade. They informed me that he would spend N28,000 on books, which we were to purchase all at once from the school. That’s excessive. Additionally, the tuition was raised from N15,000 to N25,000. These business owners don’t seem to be paying any attention to the state of the economy in the country.
“I’m not sure if he’ll go to school again on Monday. Alhaja Memunat Agboworin said to our correspondent in Sagamu, “I might think about sending him to a cheap private school or, worst still, a reputable public school.
A media professional named Mr. Seyi claimed that parents should determine what is affordable for their children and that he would never be compelled by a school to purchase textbooks from it. He thinks that parents need to be provided a list of recommended reading material and should be free to purchase the books wherever they like.
Selling textbooks, according to Seyi, “is not immoral in and of itself, but it must not be done to extort the impoverished parents.”
The father of three recommended parents to enroll their children in affordable schools rather than attempting to win over society.
These days, parents must realize that many of us also wish to “belong.” It is preferable for me to send my children to a school where I won’t have to worry about the cost of their tuition.
“I can’t send my wards to a school where we’ll have to spend a fortune. Those business owners are not at all merciful. Before enrolling my children in any school, I will first conduct research. In Abeokuta, my daughter was accepted into a well-known public secondary school. The publishers were asked to bring their books, and I was given the list of volumes. To set the book prices, I went to Sapon. At the conclusion of the day, I purchased those from them that were less expensive and those that I couldn’t find at Sapon. I went to Sapon to purchase the remainder. You won’t believe the hundreds of Naira pricing difference.
In a conversation with our correspondent, Seyi said, “Parents need to trim their jackets according to their outfits and owners should consider the parents before making judgments that have to do with money.”
In his comments, Ibrahim Osho recalled when parents would be given the list of books to buy, claiming schools nowadays were pursuing generating money at the cost of impoverished parents.
Things have changed from the past, when parents were given a list of books and examples of the school uniforms to buy and sew wherever they pleased.
“I still remember the 1990s, when I initially enrolled at Overcomer Nursery and Primary School in Ijebu Ode. I was escorted to New Market to get a sample of the uniform and one Ogunde Bookshop to purchase textbooks. However, now that the system isn’t working for them, every school is focused on earning money, according to Osho. Aina, a mother of one, spoke and described how her daughter’s school had given her the necessary funds for the first term, labeled as the “New Bill.”
A copy of the latest bill that was sent to our reporter shows that an Ibadan-based secondary school student in SS1 (name withheld) is billing N147,000 for the semester.
The bill states that the tuition is N60,000, the list of books is N52,000, two pairs of uniform cost N13,000, sport clothing is N8,000, and Thursday and Friday attire each cost N2,500.
Each student must also pay N3,500 for the lab, N3,000 for the development levy, N2,000 for upkeep, and N1,000 for a necktie.
Most parents, it was learned, are finding it difficult to raise money to pay the new cost.
No tuition, no admittance
While waiting for the suggested fees to be paid, several schools have advised parents not to bother bringing their children back for resumption.
In the majority of private schools, security personnel at the entrance are now required to request payment documentation before students are permitted inside.
Mr. Citizen Nagazimab shared his own experience, stating, “My kids’ school texted us about an increase in school costs. The veiled threat that the costs must be paid on or before the restart, however, “pain me very well!” since it is comprehensible.
Private institutions are already requesting receipts from prospective students before letting them on their campuses, our reporter learned, indicating that the tendency has spread there as well.
We’re not to blame, the school’s owner
The Proprietor and Principal of Perfect Assurance Academy in Ilaro, Ogun State, Yinusa Babatunde, has stated that school owners should not be held responsible for the increase in tuition.
Babatunde asked the government to overhaul public schools in an interview with DAILY POST, claiming that private schools were only for those with the financial means to attend.
According to him, the majority of business owners take out loans in order to fulfill criteria because the economy is not helpful to them either.
The biggest issue we have is finance. School business is a serious undertaking that involves significant financial commitment. We enter into loans with high interest rates in order to meet up. All of these things are done in order to properly integrate into the business. Manpower is still another factor. Many people are not ready to teach since they would rather work at other self-sustaining jobs. The culmination of it all is the high parent debt rate, he claimed.
When asked whether these were the justifications for schools extorting parents, he shot back, “We are not extorting parents. The increased cost of producing educational materials as a result of foreign currency has transpired, and this is not assisting the schools. Regarding uniforms, schools are making every effort to brand their services, and the outfits and branding that are being launched set them apart from their counterparts. Anyone who claims that education is too costly should try ignorance.
Babatunde stated, “The majority of the books offered out there are pirated, which is why textbooks are sold at excessive prices by schools. Please stop by those publishers’ offices and contrast the books there with those that are available for purchase. Most schools purchase these books from the publishers on credit. After the sales, we refund the money. Without a doubt, piracy is forcing publishers to abandon the publishing industry.
“Those novels come in many editions. If you don’t purchase through the school, how do you know which one they are using? Once more, the printing and graphics on those unauthorized editions are subpar. Every time students use books, this impacts them.
The educationist pleaded with the government, saying, “Government needs to be serious with education. No good service can be provided for free. To keep us alert, proper school surveillance is essential. Private schools will profit from well-structured public schools. Private schools will have less overcrowding as a result. People, not crowds, are what we need. For those who can afford it, private education is an option. Now, everyone believes that we are the only source of high-quality educational services.
“For this reason, I urged that the government should clean up the public schools. The push from private schools will lessen.
Babatunde advised parents to be patient and trim their children’s jackets in accordance with their clothing.
“Parents should enroll their children in schools based on what they can afford, not on the status or popularity of the institution,” he argued.
