Human Rights Lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN has condemned the recent increment in school fees by the Federal and Lagos State Government, describing it as "illegal."
Recall that the Federal Government had in July 2023 increased fees for Unity Schools from N45,000 to N100,000 per term an increase of over 120 per cent. Similarly, the Lagos State Government, at the weekend announced N100,000 as the new fee for the state-owned boarding schools which was previously, N35,000.
Falana in his reaction, described it as a violation of the Child's Rights Law.
He lamented that with the increase being above the Minimum Wage of N70,000, "a worker can no longer sponsor even one child either in Unity School or any secondary school in Lagos State.
Falana, however, vowed to challenge the decision in the appropriate High Court.
According to him, "The Federal Government has increased fee payable in all unity schools from N45, 000 to N100, 000 per term. Thus, the fee payable per annum is N300,000 per student.
"Similarly, the Lagos State Government has fixed fees payable in all secondary schools at N100,000 per term or N300,000 per annum by every student.
"At N70,000 minimum wage, the salary of a worker per term of four months is N28,000. The implication is that a worker can no longer sponsor even one child either in the unity school or any secondary school in Lagos State.
"However, under the Child's Rights Act and Lagos State Child's Rights Law, every child is entitled to free and compulsory education from primary to junior secondary school. To that extent, the imposition of N100,000 fees on students in junior secondary schools in Unity Schools and Secondary schools in Lagos is illegal.
"In view of the clear provisions of the Child's Rights Laws applicable in all the states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, the illegal imposition of prohibitive fees on junior secondary school students will be challenged in the appropriate High Court.
"Meanwhile, on July 10, 2024, the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission, (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, revealed that over N45. 7 billion matching grant to the state government for the implementation of Universal Basic Education, UBE, between 2020 and 2023 has not been accessed by many state governments."
Lagos reacts
In statement by the state Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, made available to Vanguard reads; "The Ministry is aware of dissenting views by some parents to the inevitable increase in boarding fees in our model colleges. This is not an easy decision but the welfare of the children is a priority for the Ministry and the State.
"Lagos State Government provides free education in 1,021 Primary schools, 369 Junior Secondary and 329 Senior Secondary Schools which include 32 model Colleges across the State.
"The issue of ensuring a better welfare for our model college students necessitated the increase in boarding fees.
"The N35,000 boarding fees being paid since 2021 is not realistic in 2024. Ideally none of the parents will testify to the reasonability of feeding a child of 12 to 18 years with N35,000 for three months.
"Nutritious food is not just for physical growth but also for mental alertness. We certainly don't want our students in boarding schools to look gaunt and lack the skill of critical thinking.
"The government takes responsibility for the health and well-being of the students while in school. To do this will require the full cooperation of all stakeholders. Our parents should show understanding for the sake of the children."
Parents protest, demand immediate reversal
Meanwhile, parents of boarding students at Eva Adelaja Girls Grammar School in Bariga, Lagos State, at the weekend protested against the school fees hike from N35,000 to N100,000 about 186 per cent increment.
The school is one of the model colleges in the state.
The protest which began on Sunday had a large group of parents stormed the school area, chanting slogans and demanding an immediate reversal of the fee hike."
They have vowed that their wards would not resume until their demands are met.
Defying the scheduled resumption, the parents pledged to continue the protest until the government accedes to their demands.
Some of the parents lamented the situation with one of them saying: "Why do you want to keep our children at home? Don't keep our children at home.
"We can't afford this money, this money is too much. Our children want to go to school. Solidarity forever!!! We will always fight for our rights.
"We want free education. The economy is biting on everybody. It is not done anywhere and it is not going to happen from N35,000 to N100,000," some of the protesters said.
The parents, therefore, demanded the reversal of the 200 per cent increase in boarding fees.
According to the parents' forum, their wards will not resume the new academic session until the hike in boarding fees is reversed.
In a statement issued at the weekend, Chairman of the Parents' Forum of Lagos Model Colleges, Surv. Dapo Dawodu, lamented the "greed" behind the increment.
According to Dawodu, "We have witnessed, in the last 24 hours, an avalanche of outpouring of extreme disdain, anguish and deep frustration at the mindless and provocative 200% increment of boarding fees for our children, by the mindlessly corrupt officers of the Lagos State Ministry of Education!
"And it was most unfortunate that the unbridled greed of these enemies of the good people of Lagos State (vide you the parents), were given their leeway by the headship of the ministry.
"To be clear, the fee of N100,000 per term, when paid in a school of 1000 students, translates to N100 million in the purse of the school principal to feed the children within just 3 months!
"Recall that for this same exercise, the same principal had carried same out for less than N35 million previously! Downscaling in a school of 500 students, a principal wants to spend N50 million for an exercise that they had achieved previously below N17.5 million paid by parents!
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"If our Commissioner is not scandalized at this, we parents find it exceedingly odious! In order to improve the feeding and welfare of our children in these schools, we proposed a good scheme of the Feeding and Welfare Analysis in February 2024 to the ministry, which they have not been able to fault to date!
"Taking another view of the whole educational programme, Lagos State boasts of a free education policy, to which the boarding programme ought not to have been excluded.
"But parents of boarding students seemed to have shown understanding with then past governments when the cash crunch was heavily against the State many, many years ago!
"But presently, all tiers of government are now receiving over 350% better funding, occasioned by the removal of subsidy which same exercise excessively depleted parents' spending power by 600% and more!"
The parents' forum said it is in light of the foregoing that "we find it very unacceptable for parents to be put through another round of oppression through this mindless increment!"
They added, "Having taken due cognisance of your yearnings, we quite agree that for us parents not to swallow this wicked bait from the government in the face of threats from some principals not to let our children into the boarding houses without the payment of N100,000 effected, we are left with no option but to ask that parents retain their children/wards at home tomorrow until the obnoxious decision of the ministry is fully reversed.!"
