Lagos State Government has appealed to parents of model college students to accept the upward review of the boarding fees, saying it is in the overall interest of the students.
Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, 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 from the N25,000 charged per term at N79.30 per meal for a student in the past 18 years.
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.
According to her, the resolve to peg the boarding fees at N50,000 per term is premised on the realisation 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.
She said that feeding a child at N73.30 per meal was not healthy for growth; hence the government could not be running a boarding system with same amount that had been in place for over 18 years, adding that the state government runs a free education policy, pays all public school students’ external examinations fees, provides and maintains infrastructure, while parents of model college students are only levied for feeding and maintenance.
Adefisayo said the state government would continue to subsidise the boarding fees to improve the quality of education and the purpose of the establishment of model colleges and upgraded schools.
She, therefore, pleaded for understanding from parents, stressing that the government’s decision is to give the students a better life, while in school.
“We did not come up with this cost randomly, but it took a lot of thinking, brainstorming and economic analyses, with the aim of giving the children comfort,” she said.
Adefisayo concluded by stating that the government runs a transparent policy in managing schools and has ensured that parents are involved in the management through the school based management committee for better relationship and inclusive school governance system.
According to her, the state government recognises that model colleges and upgraded schools serve as a positive catalyst for the restoration of quality education and will, therefore, continue to support them with the provision of facilities.
