Parents/guardians lament school fees increment in FCT

A cross section of parents and guardians have expressed worry over the  sharp increment in school fees in both public and private schools in the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT). The parents in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, said the increment was too sudden amidst the present economic  situation. They said the increment was coming at a time when people  grappling with the economic challenges occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal which has affected the general cost of living. They said the situation had forced parents and guardians to resort to borrowing in form of bank loans and other sources to be able to send their wards back to school. Mr Victor Okoye, a civil servant and father of four, said he paid N150,000 for school fees per child, totaling N600,000. “But now the amount is doubled and currently I am to pay N300,000 per child, that is a total of N1.3 million for my four children. “The only way I will be able to meet up with the new fee increment is to borrow from my bank or any other source,” he said. Mrs Abiemwese Moru, a civil servant and a mother of two, said the situation was unbearable and challenging. She, therefore, called on government at all levels to increase the salaries of workers to enable them to take care of their family. Mr Maharazu Ahmed, another civil servant, suggested that in view of the current economic challenges government should subsidise tuition fees by setting a benchmark on what should be paid as school fees. “This standard will enable the government to monitor the price of school fees, avoid rapid hike of school fees to enable the poor to access education. “The education loan scheme of the Federal Government should be allowed to kick start so that students in secondary and tertiary institutions can access it, ” he said. Ahmed added that parents should learn how to budget ahead and plan well to meet up with the current situation because education was a necessity for children. “Parents are expected to make sacrifices for their families in order to meet up with the cost of school fees. “They can pay bit by bit before the term elapses, with that, they can meet up with the amount required as school fees,” he said. Mr John Amebo, a parent, however, advised parents to cut down on their expenditure, adding that parents should send their children to schools they could afford to avoid unnecessary debts.