Lagos insists on reviewed boarding fee for Model Colleges
The Lagos State Ministry of Education has appealed to parents of students of Model Colleges to accept the upward review of the boarding fees, saying it was in the overall interest of the students.
This was contained in a statement on Sunday by the Ministry’s Public Affairs Officer, Ganiu Lawal.
It stated that Folasade Adefisayo, Commissioner, Lagos State Ministry of Education, made the plea while addressing the concern of some parents on the review of the boarding fees in the 32 Model Colleges across the state.
According to the statement, the boarding fees charged per term for the past 18 years have been N25,000 for a student, adding that parents are expected to show understanding in the matter and development. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that parents of Lagos State Model Colleges had kicked against the astronomical increment of students’ feeding fee from N25,000 to N75,000 per term.
Adefisayo said: “The Ministry had meetings and engagements with the parents’ fora of the model colleges and upgraded schools where reasons for the review were `clearly and unambiguously’ enumerated.
“It was agreed that the review of the fees became necessary due to economic realities viz-a-viz the current cost of food stuff, provision of energy, medical care and general school maintenance.”
The Commissioner hinted that as at June 2021, 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.
She said: “Hence, the resolve to peg the boarding fees at N50,000 per term is premised on the realization that the State Government will bear N75,000 subsidy per child, while the school will receive subventions per term to cater for the expected gaps.
“Feeding a child at N73.30k per meal is not healthy for growth; hence the government cannot be running a boarding system with same amount that has been in place for over 18 years.”
According to Adefisayo, the State Government runs a free education policy, …