First-term school resumption is a nightmare for parents.Aside from other material assets, education remains the best way that would be given to a child in order to have a better future and a great nation.
Today, apart from the rich, most parents, guardians and caregivers are finding it difficult to pay for standard and quality education for their children or wards.
While striving hard to secure a bright future for their children through quality education, the harsh economy appears to be challenging, making that goal a herculean task. Inflation is the order of the day.
Mostly, the first term of the academic year is the most challenging for parents. This is not unconnected with the fact that most students in primary and secondary schools transit to the next level of their education. Traditionally, that involves buying books and or materials for their new level.
To add salt to injury, the federal government’s removal of fuel subsidy, a move that sent shock waves throughout the nation has continued to deepen the economic hardship of citizens as the prices of goods and services are on the increase day by day. It would seem, parents of returning students are feeling the heat more intensely.
METRO FOCUS reporters gathered that while many parents and guardians lament the high cost of school materials like textbooks, exercise books, school uniforms, bags, and other materials, there is also the excruciating cost of transportation, etc.
It was revealed that private schools within the Jos metropolis and environs have increased their school fees to meet up with the current economic realities. Government schools, which are the last resort of the poor man, are yet to increase that fees.
Our investigations also revealed that many parents and guardians are currently withdrawing their children and wards from private to public schools due to increases in school fees and education materials.
METRO FOCUS interviewed parents, guardians, and caregivers with children in both government and private schools. Among those interviewed was Mrs. Badabo Blessing Ale, a principal with Royal High School, Mista Ali. She opined that one of the major challenges for parents today is the school fees, especially in the first term.
Lamenting, Ale said “Some parents would pay part payment with the promise to pay the remaining balance before the end of the term, but most times, you discover that they carryover the payment to the next term”
Parents are eager to send their children to school, she observed, especially first term, but the irony of sustaining the payment is another problem.
According to this principal, “Some parents pay piecemeal, which most times is discouraging because we are faced with the salary of staff and other development projects. And the annoying part of the story is that such parents would want quality education for their children while they are not making efforts to do the needful that is expected of them”
She also added that when it comes to the third term, knowing that the the child won’t be allowed to write exams if he/she has outstanding fees, neither would the child be allowed to proceed to the next class. Parents would and beg to balance second term fees, promising to pay for third term when they are buoyant. Before you know it, you’re owing them a lot of school fees and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
A parent, Mallam Munsur Isa told METRO FOCUS that he doesn’t want to think of the country’s economic situation. He is afraid of the future and our children’s education.
“The increase in the school fees is not even a major headache, to be honest. The books and back-to-school supplies are where the problem is. Every single thing has doubled and in some cases, tripled in price. It’s unbelievable. Everyone knows children grow very fast and we need to keep changing things but everything is so expensive. I don’t know how we are going to manage.
“The school my children attend increased the fees by about 20 percent. The cost of books and other materials have also shot up. When we asked why the increase, we were told that the publishers increased the prices of the books, due to the cost of production, ” he explained.
Mrs. Rita Andrew, mother of two, stressed that the recent economic change in the country has increased hardship for the citizens. Paying school fees for two is not easy, let alone for parents that have more than two children.
Mrs. Patience Awuya stated that the negative impact of the fuel subsidy has caused most families to adjust their way of life. Even with the adjustment, parents cannot afford school fees, textbooks, new uniforms, and feeding. She calls on the government to look into the situation because it gets out of hand.
A tailor by the name Benkat Abraham also lamented that her son’s fees were jerked up by almost 50 percent. She said: “I wouldn’t want to blame them, the government should be blamed. It is the fault of bad government policies that are making life unbearable for the common citizens. Our leaders want to destroy this country. Imagine education getting out of the reach of average Nigerians. The standard of education in public schools is nothing to write home about and the private schools we are trying to send our children to are becoming too expensive. The fees and the price of uniforms, school supplies, and bus fare have increased significantly”, she complained.
To this extent, the increasing cost of education in Nigeria, exacerbated by economic challenges and the removal of fuel subsidies, is taking a toll on parents.
Parents are calling for government’s intervention and the need for school proprietors to exhibit understanding and empathy. They should look at the issue with Human face. Education is the bedrock of the society. Children, who are the future of tomorrow need it. It is either that or our commutes would be over-run by criminal elements. Because ‘ an idle man, is the devil’s workshop.
METRO FOCUS gathered that according to the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) report, Nigeria holds the unenviable position of being the country with the largest number of out-of-school children of primary school age: 10 million in 2022, 9.6 million in 2020, 7.5 million in 2010 and 6.4 million in 2000. The out-of-school rate among adolescents and youths of lower and upper secondary school age has been increasing since 2008, reaching 31 and 40 percent respectively by 2022.
Nigeria has signed up to the promise of ensuring free quality primary and secondary education for all children by 2030, committing to reduce the percentage of out-of-school children of primary school age to 17 percent by 2030 and youths of upper secondary school to 26 percent by 2030.
