Parents of students at Eva Adelaja Girls Grammar School in Bariga, Lagos, staged a protest on Sunday over the Lagos State government’s decision to increase boarding fees from N35,000 to N100,000.
The demonstrators, numbering in the dozens, voiced their discontent, chanting slogans and demanding the immediate reversal of the fee hike. They declared that the school would not reopen until their concerns were addressed.
Protesters carried placards with messages such as “No reversal, no resumption!” and “We say no to this fee increment,” emphasizing their frustration with the sudden increase.
The fee hike was 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, communicated that the new fee of N100,000 would apply to all public boarding schools in Lagos State. It also stated that no additional fees should be charged, and set the new resumption date for September 15, 2024.
Segun Bashorun, the Public Relations Officer for the Parents’ Forum at the Senior School, voiced the group’s dismay. “The decision was made just two days before resumption, without consulting us. Parents are struggling with the economic situation, and this sudden increase only adds to their burden,” Bashorun said in an interview.
Another parent was seen in a video pleading for assistance: “Our children dream of becoming leaders in the future. How can they stay home because we can’t afford the new fees? The cost is too high, and we are asking for the governor’s help.”
Parents are calling on the Lagos State government to reconsider the fee increase, urging them to involve stakeholders in future decisions affecting their children’s education.
