Parents Protest Fee Hike In Lagos Boarding Schools
Parents of boarding students at Eva Adelaja Girls Grammar School in Bariga, Lagos, took to the streets on Sunday to protest against the Lagos State government’s decision to raise boarding fees from N35,000 to N100,000. In a peaceful demonstration, the parents chanted slogans and demanded an immediate reversal of the fee hike, vowing that the school would not resume until their concerns were addressed.
Holding banners with messages like “No reversal, No resumption!” and “We say no to this fee increment,” the protesters expressed frustration over the sudden increase. Many emphasized that education should remain accessible and affordable, with some banners reading, “Free education is our right.”
The fee hike was formally announced in a letter signed by Olufemi Asaolu, Director of Basic Education Services at the Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education. The letter, dated Friday, informed all boarding school principals that the new fee of N100,000 was to take effect for the 2024/2025 session. It also set the resumption date for September 15, 2024, and instructed schools not to collect any additional fees.
Segun Bashorun, the Public Relations Officer for the Parents’ Forum at the Senior School, voiced the frustrations of many parents. “We should have been consulted before such a drastic increase. The fee was raised just two days before resumption, leaving parents with no time to adjust,” he said. Bashorun added that the difficult economic situation, compounded by rising transportation costs, was making life harder for parents, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet.
Another parent, speaking during the protest, appealed directly to the Lagos State Governor for intervention, saying, “Our children have dreams of becoming leaders in the future. We can’t keep them at home because we can’t afford these new fees. The cost is simply too high, and we are asking for help.”
The protest highlights growing concerns about the affordability of education in the state, as parents continue to call for a more inclusive dialogue with the government on fee-related decisions.
