Parents Protest N100,000 Boarding Fee Hike at Lagos Model Colleges

Parents of students attending Lagos State Model Colleges have staged protests following a sudden 200% increase in boarding fees, raising the cost from N35,000 to N100,000 per term. The fee hike has sparked outrage among parents, who are demanding a reversal before allowing their children to return to school.

In peaceful demonstrations outside Lagos Model Colleges in Ojo and Meiran, parents voiced their frustration over the financial strain imposed by the fee increase. Many carried placards with messages such as “No Reversal, No Entry” and “Say No to Boarding School Fee Hike.”

One parent explained, “We cannot afford these new fees. Until they reverse it, our children will not go back to school.”

The boarding fee increase was reportedly announced on Friday, 13th September 2024, just days before the schools were set to resume. The sudden nature of the announcement has further angered parents, who feel blindsided by the decision. Mr. Ifeukwu Samuel, Vice-Chairman of the Parents' Forum at Lagos State Senior Model College, Ojo, confirmed that parents were not informed about the increase in advance.

“We were preparing to resume, and suddenly we got this shocking news,” Samuel said, adding that many parents are now considering withdrawing their children from the schools due to the financial burden.

The Lagos State Ministry of Education has yet to respond formally to the parents’ demands, but sources indicate that the fee increase was made to cover rising operational costs.

As the protests continue, affected students remain out of school, with no resolution in sight. Parents have vowed not to relent until the fee hike is reversed, stating that the increase only worsens the economic hardships faced by many families in Nigeria.