Parents Express Concern over School Fee Increment, Books Cost

By Victor Adeyanju

A cross section of parents in Oko, Ogbomoso South Local Government of Oyo State, have expressed concern over the recent increase in school fees and prices of educational materials in the country. 

 Speaking with Radio Nigeria Ogo Ilu, the parents claimed the hike in prices and fees were effects of government policies and the school proprietors allegedly extorting the parents and the teachers. 

The parents who could not hold their emotions, said rather than the junior pupils and students using the old textbooks of their siblings that were promoted to next class, the proprietors directed that the students should buy new books from the school management.

  A parent, Mrs Jelilat Ganiyu implored publishers to review prices of books downward and proprietors should allow pupils and students use their siblings’ old textbooks to reduce the financial burden on parents.

 Mrs Ganiyu advised parents and guardians to equip their children with the best educational materials, stating that those who could no longer afford fees in private schools should take their children to public schools.

In his contribution, another parent, Mr Gboyega Olaniyan blamed the trend on business orientation of the proprietors, stressing that relevant government agencies, parents and teachers associations should now be alive to their responsibilities of monitoring the schools.

A principal of a public school, Mr Olukayode Odede who explained that government provided all teaching and learning materials in public schools, appealed to the parents to bear with publishers who had committed huge fund on the production of the textbooks.

 In her remark, a proprietor of a private school in Oko, Mrs Bola Fashanu exonerated her colleagues and attributed the rising cost of the educational materials to the global economic recession.

 Mrs Fashanu reminded the parents and guardians that no amount was too much to be expended on the educational development of their wards, as future leaders.

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