Parents have urged President Bola Tinubu to put a stop to the wave of tuition price increases and other changes made by government-owned schools under the auspices of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, or NAPTAN.
The parents said that these price rises in nearly every sector, including petrol, power, and now school fees, were suffocating them.
They contend that the raises are too many and are pelting the populace like a downpour.
Adeolu Ogunbanjo, the Deputy National President of NAPTAN, asked the President to urgently halt the tuition price increase in public schools in an interview with Vanguard yesterday.
“It is regrettable. Although we agree with the President that the oil subsidy should be eliminated, this does not entail that all prices should be increased simultaneously.
“You still want to raise college rates while eliminating the power subsidy. That will kill both parents and their kids too much.
“By tomorrow, the President ought to order schools to resume charging their previous fees. They shouldn’t put an end to the lives of parents and their kids.
He ought to balance mercy with justice. As soon as the federal government raises the tuition for public schools, state, and private school operators will do the same. He needs to just stop,” he said.
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Though some importers have been granted licenses to bring in petroleum, Ogunbanjo advised the President that this was not the best way to lower the price of fuel in Nigeria.
As long as petroleum products are imported and the process is denominated in dollars, he said, prices will remain high.
He has to promote modular refineries, I say. The people and the entire country will find comfort in that. If he is not happy with how they are operating these modular refineries right now, he should address that and set criteria for those who do.
“The major ones, like the Dangote Refinery, may go online while the modular refineries are operating and addressing the needs of the people in their own unique ways.
Businesses are already feeling the severe effects of the subsidy reduction, and many might go out of business. If that occurs, parents will still suffer the most since they would have to manage their families while also losing their employment.
Recall that federal institutions and the Unity Colleges of the federal government recently upped their tuition from N45,000 to N100,000.
For instance, UNILAG in Lagos raised tuition over the weekend from N19,000 to N190,250.
Parents worry that some parents may find it challenging to manage fees and book purchases by the time the new school year for elementary and secondary schools starts in September of this year.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) have voiced concern that the government’s adoption of the Student Loan Scheme would result in an increase in tuition costs.
Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke and Dr. Anderson Ezeibe, the presidents of both unions, had stated that the government would simply be directing any poor student who is unable to pay fees to contact the Student Loan Board, but they questioned how many of these students the board would be able to assist.
They also had issues with the timing and form of repayment.
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