Stakeholders in Nigeria’s education sector have expressed deep concern over mounting reports that unity colleges and public basic schools in Abuja are imposing illegal hidden charges on students.
In separate interviews on Wednesday in Abuja, the stakeholders said the hidden charges are arbitrary and negate the clear provisions of the Universal Basic Education Act on free and compulsory basic education.
They warned that the increasingly common practice of masking school fees as levies or mandatory items undermines the government’s commitment to providing free basic education and can force many children out of school.
Despite the UBE Act’s clear mandate for free and compulsory basic education, unity schools in the FCT are charging students as high as N300,000 in disguised fees. Some other public FCT boarding and day schools are also charging between N120,000 and N200,000 in various fees before registering students who have gained admission into their schools.
The stakeholders described the trend as a dangerous violation of the law, cautioning that the hidden levies threaten to push vulnerable children out of school.
Specifically, they said the practice, often hidden behind uniforms, administrative levies, and PTA-imposed fees, raised serious concerns about accessibility and could trigger a rise in school dropouts.
The UBE Act of 2004 mandates that the Nigerian government provide free and compulsory education for all children up to the junior secondary school level. The act makes it illegal to charge fees for public primary and junior secondary schools and holds parents accountable for ensuring their children attend school.
However, investigations revealed that in the receipts issued to students by the schools, the column for school fees is deliberately set to zero, while the charges are wrapped in mandatory items, administrative levies, and PTA-imposed obligations. Others include uniform, locker, bunk space, medical tests, and a whole lot of other charges that amounted to over N300,000.
A parent whose child gained admission into JSS 1 at Government Science School, Maitama, a unity school, provided a breakdown of the money paid.
The breakdown includes parent feeding contribution charges – N36,000; parent sundry contribution – N7,400; material charges – N18,375; and PTA support – N16,500. The payment included books – N88,000. admission letter – N10,000, guidance and counselling – N5,000, lab coat – N5,000. Others were Locker – N30,000, mattress – N25,000, Pillow – N2,000, school toiletries – N16,000, hostel toiletries – N22,000, as well as other unreceipted payments.
The parent, who preferred not to be named, because of fear of identifying the child for possible victimisation, said he had to sell his personal belongings to raise the money. He called on the Federal Ministry of Education and the FCT Education Board to investigate the issues and take decisive steps to reverse the trend.
At the Government Junior Secondary School, Phase 4, Kubwa, another parent, Jonah, said he coughed up N123,000 for his daughter, who secured admission into JSS 1.
Also at a public school in Nyanya, Esther Asabe, a mother of three, said she had no option but to pay to secure her child’s space.
“They told us JSS 1 is free, but when you get there, they will give you a list of things you must pay for and buy from the school. The list included uniforms, cardigans, sportswear, badges, files, PTA levy, development Levy and so on. The items and the payments amounted to N92,000. How is that free education?” she stated.
At a school in the Gwagwalada axis, Alhassan Ibrahim narrated how he struggled to meet the hidden charges demanded before his son was allowed into JSS 1.
“The school said the government did not release enough funds, so parents must contribute. I paid about N107,000, including ‘development levy’ and PTA dues. If you don’t pay, your child will not be admitted,” he said.
For some parents, particularly low-income earners, the situation has pushed their children out of school or delayed their enrolment.
A JSS 3 student in Masaka, Divine, revealed that it was difficult for her parents to pay her fees.
She said her fees were being paid by good Samaritans every term because the parents could not afford them.
“Last year, I was sent back home because my parents could not pay the charges, after completing the payment for uniforms and books the school asked us to buy,” she said
The national president of the Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria, Boniface Odeh, described the situation as “disheartening” and said it could prevent Nigerian children from receiving a good, qualitative education.
Mr Odeh lamented that many parents were allegedly being forced to pay ‘exorbitant fees and make mandatory purchases ‘, calling the development a clear breach of the UBE Act and a major barrier to access to quality education.
“As a stakeholder in the education sector, I strongly condemn these practices and urge the authorities to take immediate action to enforce the law,” he said.
The PTA President also called on the Ministry of Education, UBEC and other relevant bodies to launch a thorough investigation into the allegations and impose sanctions on schools found culpable.
Beyond government intervention, he encouraged affected parents to unite and form a coalition to advocate for their rights, insisting that collective action was crucial to ensuring strict compliance with the act.
Mr Odeh also appealed to the government to increase funding for public schools, arguing that improved resource allocation would reduce the pressure on schools and eliminate the temptation to impose illegal charges.
“It is only through coordinated efforts that we can guarantee our children the quality education they deserve. Our children are our future, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure they have access to quality education,” he said.
Meanwhile, some school administrators have defended the charges, insisting that the schools had limited funds to manage their growing population.
A vice-principal of a public secondary school in Abuja, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorised to speak, argued that the government provided teachers, but funds for maintenance, exams, curricular activities, and security were not sufficient.
She said parents are aware of the situation, and the PTA supported the schools in some areas. She maintained that the fees were not “compulsory tuition”, but “necessary contributions”.
Another school owner, Funmilayo Shoyoye, stressed that although education is free, parents must still pay other charges to keep their children/wards in school.
According to her, the schools do run on a generator, photocopies are made and a whole lot of other services that must be paid for.
“Yes, education is meant to be free, but commitments must be made by both parents and schools to give these children the qualitative education they desire,” she said.
Stakeholders, however, maintained that education remains a human right and should be made free, because Section 2 of the UBE Act makes basic education compulsory and free.
(NAN)
