Parents of students at Oriwu Model College in Ikorodu, Lagos State, took to the streets on Sunday to protest the sudden increase in boarding fees by the state government.
The fees, which were previously N35,000, have been hiked to N100,000, leaving many parents struggling to cope with the new cost.
The protest, which was peaceful, saw parents gathering at the school gate to demand an immediate reversal of the fees. Mr Kazeem Oladuni, Chairman of the Parents Forum Association (PFA), Oriwu College, appealed to the state Ministry of Education to return to the old fees, enabling their wards to resume school.
According to Oladuni, the students were initially supposed to resume on September 9, but a memo was received adding an extra week, which expired on September 15. However, another memo was issued on September 13, announcing the drastic increase in boarding fees. “We held a meeting with the Lagos State Coordinator of PFA and resolved that the fees are outrageous for any parent at this time of hardship in the country,” he said.
The protest highlights the concerns of parents struggling to make ends meet amidst the current economic challenges in the country. The Lagos State Government’s decision to increase boarding fees has been met with resistance, and it remains to be seen how the situation will be resolved.
