Why Lagos can’t reverse upward review of boarding fees for model colleges -Commissioner

The Lagos State government has explained why it is not possible for her to reverse the upward review of boarding fees for its model colleges, saying the review is based on the economic reality of this present time.

The state’s Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, who stated this position, pleaded with parents of students of the model colleges some of whom protested the hike for their understanding on the upward adjustment.

According to her, the state government had been charging each student of model colleges only N25, 000 per term and at N73.30k per meal for the past 18 years and this amount had been heavily subsidised.

She said it was true that the state government operates a free education policy at primary and secondary school levels and also pays all public secondary school students’ external examinations fees, provides and maintains infrastructure, among others, parents of model college students are only levied for their children feeding and maintenance.

She emphasised that the current economic realities, particularly in terms of cost of foodstuffs, provision of energy, medical care and general school maintenance are very huge and draining government purse.

So as of June 2021, for example, she pointed out, the market cost of commodities and school maintenance services analysis showed that N125, 000 would be required to keep a student in a model college with 80 per cent of the cost to be expended on meals alone.

Based on this, the commissioner explained that the state government had discussed with parents’ fora of the model colleges and upgraded schools and now resolved to peg the boarding fees at N50, 000 per term on the premise that the state government would bear the balance of N75, 000 as subsidy on every child while the school would be receiving subventions to cater for the gap.

Mrs Adefisayo, in a statement made available by the head of the public affairs unit of the ministry, Mr Ganiu Lawal, promised that the state government would continue to subsidise the boarding fees to improve the quality of education and the purpose of establishing the model colleges and upgraded secondary schools.

She noted that the 32 model colleges and upgraded schools are spread across the state and available to all interested parents resident in Lagos to enrol their children.