Parents Protest: See How Government Schools Are Extorting Parents
Some parents of students of the Federal Science and Technical College, Yaba, Lagos State, over the weekend protested against N6, 500 fees for an ongoing hostel project in the institution and a sum of N3, 000 charged for the washing of studentâs uniform, the Punch News reports.
While most of the parents were dispersed by the schoolâs security officials. Nonetheless, a few determined protesters refused to leave. They displayed placards, which read, âUgoji (The schoolâs principal) stop the extortion,â and âDown with criminal PTA,â among others.
After the protest had been on for a while, a Superintendent of Police, who tagged their action as âirrational,â ordered policemen from the Sabo Police Division to arrest the parents and a couple of journalists.
The Superintendent reportedly said, âI am also a parent. I have three children in this school. I know what the school was three years ago and what it is now. You (protesters) have not comported yourselves well.â
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However, one of the protesters, Anjorin Ahmed, made it known that the schoolâs Parents Teacher Association came up with the idea of building a 1,200 bed-space hostel for the school last session and urged each parent to pay N30, 000 in addition to the regular N15, 000 PTA fee.
He said the PTA during a meeting which was attended by its Chairman, Mrs. Oby Igwilo, the school principal, Mr. Chris Ugoji, and two representatives from the Federal Ministry of Education on December 18, 2015, told parents to pay additional N6, 500 for the project. He added that most parents raised objections to the idea, but the amount was eventually included in the pupilsâ second term school fees.
Ahmed said, âThey said they wanted to build a hostel for female students and they brought a quotation of  N90m to N120m. We went for N120m and contributed N30, 000 â N10, 000 per term. That is in addition to the usual N5, 000 PTA fee we pay per term. The pupils are more than 4,000 and every parent paid. When the school wanted to go on holiday on December 18, 2015, the PTA said they needed more money and asked us to pay additional N6, 500. We objected to it.â
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Another parent, Adegboyega Alaka, said they were also contesting N3, 000 laundry fee and excess charges on textbooks, among others. He said the charges were introduced in July 2014 when the principal assumed the office.
âWe are tired of paying extra fees. Why must we be building a hostel for the government? We have children in other schools.
âOne year ago, the PTA introduced N3, 000 laundry fee, which we unanimously rejected. But it was eventually injected in the school fees. They said if we fail to pay any of the fees, our children will not be allowed into the school.
âThey also introduced N6, 500 mid-day meal and we said no. They said it was optional, but lunch time, which used to be 2pm, was shifted to 3.30pm.â
Attah Jeremiah, whose child is in SS1, said, âThe main school fee is N15,000, but this school has been turned into an avenue for extorting money from parents. I have not paid my childâs school fees for this term. I will only pay N15, 000 which other federal schools are paying.â
A parent, Ojo Olushola, said the principal did not have âlistening earsâ while another parent, Mrs. Doris Michael said the hostel was supposed to be governmentâs responsibility and urged that the fee should be cancelled.
âWe are not supposed to pay for the building of hostels. It is the responsibility of the government,â she said.
The principal and the PTA Chairman, however, denied the allegations that they extorted money from the parents, adding that the fees were for the good of the school.
The principal said, âThere was decadence in the college when I came on board. Within a year and five months that I asumed office, FSTC is now an elitist school. The N30, 000 was agreed upon before I came. It got exhausted last term and they (PTA) said they needed more money. But the parents said no. The laundry fee and the hostel project are PTAâs matters. We only help PTA to collect fees.
âIt is cheap blackmail that I extort money from parents. We are directed to collect N5,000 insurance fee annually by the government.â
The chairman, Igwilo, claimed the N6, 500 was approved by the majority of the parents during the PTA meeting.
She said, âThe school requested the hostel project. We tabled it before parents and it was approved. The N5, 000 per term is for the administrative running while the N30, 000 is for the project.
âAbout 1,000 pupils did not pay the N30, 000. The PTA and the school fees are not distinct; they must pay the two together. If their money is being mismanaged, we could not have got to where we are on the project.â
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The DPO, Sabo division, eventually urged the parents and the school management to resolve the matter amicably.
She also appealed to the journalists that the matter would not had degenerated into âcoming to the stationâ if the policeman posted to monitor the protest was there throughout.â
Hmmmmmm this is serious oh.
Na Wao oooo!
Hmmmmmm
Hmmmm…they should pls settle this case amicably cos of the children
This is very serious n I think I like parents with action. Dats Hw it’ll continue
Truly d parents r not supposed 2 build hostels 4 d sch,its not proper,afterall they r not goin 2 be repayed n it’s not goin 2 be deir property so what’s d point in contributing 2wards d project except it’s voluntary.
Na wah oooooo. Na real serious business dey go on inside that school. EFCC and other anti corruption bodies should investigate. Why should some parents build school for federal government that will exist till generation yet unborn attand? That’s absurd and unfathomable!
Good. I hope d protest yield a positive response
Na wa o
serious matter
I don’t blame the parents at all o coz they don’t pick money from the ground.
Asking parents to build hostels/dormitories in a government institution is extortion(anyhow one looks at it)
Nawa oo
Nawaooo real extortion. .hope the protest yield a positive results
There re so many school things like this are happening,one of the school is UNN
These parents are being extorted this issue should be investigated
I support these parents o
This is serious
i concour with kelechi