Parents Blame School Fees Hike On Unity School Principals, Education Ministry

Nigeria Parents’ Forum has said President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly (NASS) should not be blamed for the non-implementation of the directive of the Presidency and NASS for the reversal of the school fees hike imposed on parents by the Federal Ministry of Education.

The forum also accused the ministry and the principals of Unity Schools of ignoring both the directive of the president and the resolution of the House of Representatives ordering the reversal of the recent hike in school fees of unity schools and other federal institutions and called for severe disciplinary actions on them.

In a statement signed by the forum’s spokesperson, Engr. Lukman Saluhdeen and made available to LEADERSHIP in Abakaliki alleged that the Federal Ministry of Education and principals of Unity Schools through newsletters issued to students who vacated on 4th August 2023 were still demanding the high school fees in defiance of the directive for reversal announced by the presidential spokesman, Dele Alake on Monday, July 31, 2023.

The forum lamented that the new regime if not reversed would lead to an increase in school dropout in the country.

“Nigerian Parents Forum wants President Bola Tinubu to call the Federal Ministry of Education to order and ensure immediate compliance with the presidential order as failure to do that amounts to creating precedents for bureaucratic anarchy.

“The Federal Ministry of Education cannot be allowed to operate above both the presidency and the National Assembly.

“We equally ask President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to work out special economic palliatives for Nigerian parents who are not civil servants to enable them to sponsor and fund their children’s education and halt the impending massive school dropout arising from the recent withdrawal of fuel subsidy,” it said.

It would be recalled that following the outcry of Nigerian parents and the House of Representatives resolution on a motion sponsored by the member representing Ohanivo federal constituency, Hon Nkemkanma Kama, presidential spokesman, Dele Alake, had in a statement announced President Bola Tinubu’s order for reversal of the fee hike.

Meanwhile, staff members of Unity School in Ebonyi State have lamented the mass exodus of students of the school following the fees hike.

A staff of the Federal Government Girls College, Ezzamgbo, who spoke to LEADERSHIP on grounds of anonymity, said after the school vacation, a good number of the parents returned to the school to take away the belongings of their wards.

“Not fewer than 50 parents came back to the school to take away the remaining belongings of their wards from the hotels. They lamented that they can no longer afford the school fees.

“One of the parents during an interaction with some staff members said that as civil servant he cannot afford to cough out N300,000 per term for their three kids in the school. We are losing our students in droves and there is an urgent need for the Presidency to address the issue,” the staff member said.