By Mario Deepromoter

The Lagos State Government has insisted to stay on the new boarding fee of N100,000 per term (against the old fee of N35,000) charged each student of its model colleges across the state.

The state’s Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education gave this position on Tuesday in a statement made available to newsmen.

The statement was signed by the Deputy Director of Public Affairs unit of the ministry, Mr Ganiu Lawal, explaining why the fee increment is inevitable.

According to the statement, 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 of Basic and Secondary Education and Lagos State Government.

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. Except for Vetland Junior and Senior Secondary Schools, all the model colleges are boarding schools.

Since enrolment of a child into a boarding school is an individual choice of every parent, they are expected to pay boarding fees.

The boarding fee is paid every term and it is used basically for feeding, janitorial and other miscellaneous cost related to keeping them in the hostels per term. The schools also take care of energy cost on fuel and cooking gas, which are essential for preparing their meals.

See also Court adjourns 4bn suit against First Bank Plc
The concern of ensuring a better welfare for our model college students, who are over one percent of the entire basic and secondary school student population in public schools in the state, necessitated the increase in boarding fees.

“The model college students enjoy all other privileges of free education vis- a- vis provision of education infrastructure, free tuition, technology support (free devices) provision of adequate security in schools and payment of terminal examination fees (LASG pays WAEC fees for all public school students).

“So, the N35,000 boarding fees being paid since 2021 is not realistic in 2024.

Ideally, none of our parents will testify to the reasonability of feeding a child of 12 to 18 years with 35,000 for three months.

“A comparative analysis of Federal and State public schools with boarding facilities across the country shows Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education is still very considerate with the reviewed rate despite the incomparable cost of food and other expenses.

“So, our parents should show understanding for the sake of the children.”

Meanwhile, the Parents’ Forum of the colleges said that the House of Assembly had earlier on Monday reversed to the old fee of N35,000 following their protest to the House despite there was a public holiday.

The Deputy Chairman of the Parents’ Forum of the Colleges, Mr Ifeukwu Samuel, told Tribune Online when asked for the update on the matter.

He said the House of Assembly had directed that the students should resume and check into the hostels across the model colleges in the state on Tuesday.

He explained that an agreement was reached at the meeting between the state’s House Committee on Education, led by Mrs Sangodara and the protesting parents led by the Chairman of the forum, Mr Dapo Dawodu.

According to him, the old fee of N35,000 per term is said to be sustained at the meeting.

Speaking further, he said the parents at the meeting presented to the House the template of how to effectively manage the funds that is coming into the colleges on the basis of the old fee of N35,000 per term and with a promise by the House to invite the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to present its own calculation to justify the new fee.

He said, “So in the interim. We are to constitute a school management board committee for each college.

“The committee will comprise the representatives of the parents and that of the school and to be shouldered with some responsibilities as regards the management of the funds that are coming into the colleges.

“The committee will know the amounts of money that are coming in and also oversee the mangement of such funds alongside the college principal.”

Samuel told Tribune Online that the implication of this new arrangement is that it would now be cleared to everyone, especially the parents how the money that is coming into the colleges through the fees is being spent on the feeding of the students and if there would be the need or not for an upward review of the boarding fee and by how much.

“But for now, the old fee of N35,000 per term for each student will be sustained as agreed at the meeting,” he emphasised.

The state government had on Friday night, 13th of September, announced an upward review of boarding fee for each student across its model colleges from N35,000 to N100,000 (representing 286 percent increment ) and this to be effective from this first term.

The students were supposed to resume originally last Sunday, 7th of September alongside their peers in other primary and secondary schools in the state but their resumption date was shifted by one week.

Model colleges are special secondary schools owned by the state government and spread across the six educational districts of the state.

They are 32 in all, operating boarding facilities except Vetland Grammar School, Ifako- Ijaiye, which is being run as a day school.

For resumption, almost all the parents had already paid their children’s fee of the old amount in readiness for resumption.