Parents lament high COVID-19 test fee as schools prepare for resumption

Parents have expressed their displeasure over the huge fees being charged by some universities for the mandatory COVID-19 test for students resuming for the 2020/2021 academic session from Monday next week.

Recall that both the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye and Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo in Ogun State have set out some stringent rules for students resuming for the 2020/2021 academic session.

In addition to taking COVID-19 tests that cost N25,000 and bringing personal safety kits, students of the university will not be allowed off campus for the six weeks stipulated for the first semester unless they are ready to complete two weeks of isolation and take another COVID-19 test on return to campus.

Parents complained about the cost of meeting these demands in addition to increased fees despite that the students would spend less time on campus because of the pandemic.

According to a parent who has a child in Babcock University, her ward would be paying N702,000 as fees for the six-weeks period from October 25 – through online classes will be ongoing till he resumes.  Students are required to show proof of payment on resumption or evidence they have enough funds to cover their fees.

“The 400-Level students will resume on Monday, later they will allow other students to resume for six weeks only from next month. This is after paying the hypertension-giving school fees of N702,000 for six weeks only,” the parent said.

Another parent whose child is in 300 level at the Olabisi Onabanjo University lamented that N25,000 for COVID-19 test is on the high side for parents to bear excluding the huge school fees.

Defending the rules, Director of Communications and Marketing of Babcock University, Dr. Joshua Suleiman, said the university did not ask students to come with their own COVID-19 test results because it wanted to be sure if they were authentic.

Suleiman also said there was no fee increment save for the N36,000 introduced to cover ICT costs. He said the university was charging regular fees for the full semester despite students not spending the full duration on campus because it has to make accommodation for decongesting classrooms and hostels to accommodate fewer students because of the pandemic. He added that paying full fees for the semester was akin to paying full rent for a house regardless of how many days one lives in it.

However, another parent dismissed his argument, saying there was no reason the university should charge full fees when the students would not be on campus for the entire period.

“I wonder whether Babcock is doing this on its own or other private universities in Ogun State are also charging for COVID-19 tests. I guess they are charging us full fees because they are afraid the lecturers may down tools if not paid in full,” the parent said.