By IFEOMA AKA

Some parents in Enugu metropolis have expressed worry over what they described as ?unbearable? increase in tuition fees and levies charged by most private and faith-based schools in the state.

They said that most nursery, primary and secondary schools owed by private and faith-based organisations increased their tuition fees and other levies between 20 and 50 per cent when compared to what obtained last academic session.

A parent, Mr John Ude told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday in Enugu, that the development had further placed additional financial burden on many households already stretched by the rising cost of living.

?I was surprised to hear from my children?s school principal that the school fees of my daughter in junior secondary 2 is now N150, 000 as against N100, 000 we paid last year.

?I tried to ask what the reason for the increment was and the principal said that it was the directive from the proprietor and that he does not have much explanation on the matter,?? he said.

Ude said that it was important for government to look into arbitrary hike in fees and levies in private schools as that was causing a lot of socio-economic burden on parents and guardians.

A housewife, who simply gave her name as Mrs Ngozi, said that the new tuition charged by a popular faith-based school in Amechi area of Enugu had made the school out of the reach of average parents.

According to her, last term, we paid N85,000 per child for my three children, but this new session the school said that the fees is now N120,000 per child.

?Government should intervene and regulate these charges because education is supposed to be social service and not profit oriented venture which most school owners are turning it into,? she said.

A civil servant, Mrs Juliet Ugwu, said she had already decided to transfer her two children to a public school because she cannot afford new tuition fees charged by her children?s school.

?The school my children attend raised their fees to N150, 000 per term as against N95,000 we paid last term, I cannot cope with that considering my take home salary,?? she said.

Some private and faith-based school proprietors and administrators had defended the increment, insisting that it was due to the prevailing economic realities.

They cited inflation, rising utility costs, staff salaries and the need to maintain quality learning environments as key reasons behind the fees adjustment.

Mr Emeka Mbah, a school proprietor, explained that the fees adjustment in his school was aimed at sustaining operations without compromising standards.

?We understand the concerns of some parents, but schools are also grappling with the same economic pressures.

?We cannot deliver quality education if we do not have competent teaching staff members and the right instructional materials,? Mbah said.

Another school proprietor, Mr Chris Agbo, argued that in spite the increments, private schools still bear heavy burden in bridging the gap created in educational services by government and yet do not receive subvention for government.

Agbo said that some private school owners are running at a lost, insisting that investment in education venture is capital intensive.

He maintained that without the adjustments in fees, most schools would collapse. (NAN)

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