Several parents in Ibadan, Oyo State, have cried out over the increase in the school fees of their children by some private schools in the city.
The parents in media interactions berated the schools imposing high fees for not considering the economic situation in the country while increasing school fees.
It was gathered that Mrs. Olawumi Johnson, a mother of three, lamented that the increase of her children’s fees irritates her husband at home.
According to Mrs. Johnson, “The increase is not favourable, considering the hard time people are going through in the country today.”
Another parent, Mrs. Deborah Adefusi, was cited to have complained that the present situation in Nigeria is unfriendly. She, however, noted that the increase in the fees of her children was below N10,000,.
According to Adefusi, “We need the economy to be thriving so that life will become more comfortable for us.”
A male parent, Sanmi Olatunde, was cited to have stated: “Schools need to take it easy on parents and ensure that school fees are affordable, considering the times we are in.
“We all are feeling the heat of the moment; so, schools should have a rethink, if they don’t want more students and pupils to owe them and then the debt keeps pilling up.”
However, school are also running at high costs to maintain their standards and provide quality education. The rising costs in the economy also affect private schools, beside levies charged private schools by state and local governments.
Chairman of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) in Oyo State, Dr Mary Odedare, was cited to have stated that “…looking at the whole situation holistically, we are of the opinion that if anything is going to be increased, it should not be now.
“We all know the high inflation rate and we are all operating in the same economy. It is a global crisis and not limited to Nigeria and Oyo State.”