….Fuel price hike may hamper school run
..School owners rue unpaid bills, high running cost
…Parents should not be discouraged – NUT
..Uncertainty over resumption in unity colleges
By Adesina Wahab and Dayo Johnson
As primary and secondary schools reopen across the country on Monday, parents and guardians are set to contend with higher school fees, with checks by Vanguard showing that many private schools have increased their charges by between 30 and 40 per cent.
Even parents with children in public schools in Lagos State who are not formally employed and cannot secure tax clearance certificates are now required to pay N20,100 in levies, up from N10,100.
A private secondary school in the Ipaja area of Lagos, whose identity was withheld, increased its tuition from N86,000 to N124,000 per term, while another school in Egbeda raised its fee from N250,000 to N320,000 per term.
Reports from across the country also indicated similar increases in school fees and other financial obligations facing parents.
Fuel price hike may hamper school runs
The frequent increase in the pump price of petrol may force some school owners to scale down or discontinue their school bus services.
The latest fuel price increase came only days ago, after parents had already been issued bills for the new academic session in July. Consequently, some school owners are considering sending fresh bills to parents to reflect the rising cost of transportation.
Similarly, more parents may resort to private transporters and tricycle operators to convey their children to and from school.
A parent, John Aderiye, said it would not make economic sense for him to spend about N10,000 on fuel each day to take his child to school and back home.
“I have decided to save myself needless stress by contracting a tricyclist in my neighbourhood to take my son to and from school. What I will be spending on that monthly is a fraction of what I would have spent on fuelling my car to do so,” he said.
Also, a school owner in the Alagbado area of Lagos has completely stopped operating a school bus service.
Under the new arrangement, parents are responsible for taking their children to school, while those who cannot do so may opt for boarding facilities.
The decision, it was gathered, was prompted by the rising cost of maintaining the buses and purchasing fuel.
School owners rue unpaid bills, rising costs
The President of the Lagos chapter of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, NAPPS, Otunba Yusuf Alaka, said private school owners should not be blamed for the increase in fees.
According to him, the increase ought to be higher if the rising cost of living and operational expenses were fully considered.
“In fact, the increase ought to be higher than that if the cost of living would be taken into consideration in full force. The increase being complained about, that is 40 per cent, is small if we are to go the whole hog.
“But we are considerate too and, moreover, many of our members have hundreds of millions of naira yet to be paid by parents. Do you know that some parents will owe fees here and take their children to another school the following term?
“If you look at a school and you see, say, 300 students, ask the owner how many students have fully paid their fees at the end of the term. That is apart from the operational cost that keeps increasing daily. We also have different levies and taxes to pay to various tiers of government.
“People don’t seem to understand what we go through running our schools. People are running away from the teaching profession and, to get people to take up the job, you have to pay them well. In some parts of Lagos now, you can’t pay a teacher less than N150,000 monthly.
“If you have your own permanent site for a school, have you considered the cost of renting a place? We understand the situation and we are not too shylock in our thinking and action. Let the people understand what we are going through too,” he said.
Parents reeling under heavy economic burden — NAPTAN
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, NAPTAN, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, said parents were already groaning under the economic burden of paying school fees and purchasing books and other educational materials.
“School owners have increased fees by between 30 and 40 per cent and many parents are finding it difficult to cope because of the economic situation in the country.
“What the proprietors are saying is that operational cost has increased. They cite the cost of maintenance of facilities, even classrooms, where if they have any repair to do, it is expensive.
“Yes, we all know what the situation is nationwide, but we plead with them to reduce their fees. It should not be more than 20 per cent increase.
“Most of the parents and guardians that are going to pay don’t enjoy salary or income increment. Most are not civil servants, and even what is the level of the salary increment that civil servants enjoy? We are just pleading with them to make things easy.
“For parents, I pray that God blesses their pockets to be able to live up to their responsibilities. However, I would advise that they don’t go beyond their capacities. Private schools have levels; you don’t have to put your children in the very expensive ones,” he said.
Don’t be discouraged, NUT urges parents
The Chairman of the Lagos Council of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Comrade Hassan Akintoye, urged parents and guardians not to be discouraged by the economic situation.
“Yes, things are tough. The economic situation is challenging and many people are struggling, but that is not an excuse to withdraw children from school.
“I am advising parents not to be discouraged and give up. We have to take the issue of the education of our children seriously. They are our future. We must not joke with them and their future.
“As students resume, I pray that God will bless our parents to be able to do the needful. Education is the best legacy we can give them,” he said.
Uncertainty over resumption in unity colleges
While schools are set to resume, uncertainty had persisted over the status of resumption in Federal Unity Colleges following controversy surrounding the concession of King’s College, Lagos, to the school’s Old Boys Association.
The Federal Government, which owns the unity colleges, recently handed over the college to its old boys.
The development prompted the Parent Teacher Associations of the unity colleges to call on their members to boycott resumption.
At the weekend, social media platforms were awash with claims that the Federal Ministry of Education had postponed the resumption of students in unity colleges nationwide by three weeks.
FG disowns circular on postponement
The Federal Ministry of Education, however, on Saturday night, debunked the claim.
In a statement by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo, the ministry said the purported circular announcing an additional three-week holiday for students of Federal Unity Colleges was fabricated.
“The Federal Ministry of Education has disowned a fabricated circular circulating on social media, purporting to announce an additional three-week holiday for students of Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.
“The Ministry stated that the document did not originate from it and should be completely disregarded. It reaffirmed that Monday, 14 September 2026 remains the approved resumption date for all Federal Unity Colleges, with no directive extending the holiday or shifting resumption to 4 October 2026.
“The Ministry clarified that the purported circular, dated 8 September 2026 and referenced
‘FME/SS/UNI/2026/128,’ is fraudulent.
“It also noted that the document falsely bears the name and signature of ‘Dr. (Mrs.) Aisha Garba’ as Permanent Secretary. The Ministry’s Acting Permanent Secretary is Dr. Mrs. Folake Olatunji David.
“The Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, assured parents, guardians, students and stakeholders of the Federal Government’s commitment to a safe, orderly and seamless resumption.
“The Ministry urged the public to verify information through its established communication channels and refrain from reproducing or circulating fake official documents.
“The Federal Ministry of Education reaffirmed its commitment to providing accurate, timely and transparent information,” the statement said.
Ondo Police, Amotekun assure schools of security
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Police Command and the state security outfit, Amotekun Corps, have assured parents, guardians, students, teachers and school proprietors of adequate security as schools resume for the new academic session.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, said in a statement that personnel of the School Protection Squad had been deployed across the state to provide security coverage around schools and ensure a safe and conducive environment for teaching and learning.
According to him, the command had intensified patrols, visibility policing and intelligence-led operations around schools and other critical locations to prevent criminal activities and ensure prompt response to security threats.
Abayomi urged parents and guardians to remain security-conscious and educate their children and wards on basic safety measures.
He also advised school owners and administrators to promptly report suspicious persons, activities or security concerns around their schools to the police.
“Students are urged to avoid isolated routes, refrain from following strangers, and promptly report suspicious activities to their teachers, school authorities, parents or the Police,” he said.
The command assured the public that its personnel would remain vigilant and responsive throughout the academic session, while soliciting the cooperation of all stakeholders through timely and credible information.
For emergencies, the public was advised to contact the Ondo State Police Command Control Room on 0703 431 3903.
Also, the State Commander of Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, said the agency had concluded arrangements to ensure a safe learning environment, particularly in border communities and other vulnerable areas.
Adeleye said that while Amotekun was aware of prevailing security threats in parts of the country, proactive measures had been put in place to prevent criminals from targeting schoolchildren in Ondo State.
According to him, the Ondo State Government had directed that adequate security personnel be deployed to schools across the state, especially those in border areas and isolated communities.
He urged school principals and administrators to save Amotekun’s emergency distress line, 0807 999 9989, for rapid response in the event of any security incident.
Adeleye added that buses conveying students in vulnerable locations would also receive security escorts.
