•After Yuletide, FCT parents scared over school resumption, fees
From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Abuja parents are worried. And it is for one obvious reason. Apart from expenses of Yuletide season, school fees of their children contribute to their worries. A good number of them number confessed to Daily Sun that in spite of plans made ahead of January, coping with life has been tough due to many demands competing for the inadequate resources.
•Pupils
But Aga Maria, a civil servant with Ministry of Steel Development, who resides in Dulse Alhaji has a slightly different story: “I have been hearing many parents lamenting and racking their brains on how to send their wards back to school. But, I decided not to be part of it.
“My husband and I decided to be paying the fees annually not because we have enough but it is easier that way. We paid everything even for school parties. What I’m preparing for now is the food and other snacks that they will need for school.
“Since the increment of fuel price everything took different shapes. We decided to clear the fees, though my children’s school, Spring International, Dulse, increased the fees and school bus prices, which almost doubled the previous fees.
“We didn’t even travel for the Christmas break because we weren’t haven’t enough. Some of our neighbours that ran home for the Christmas are still in the village looking for transport fare to travel back to their destination. Imagine if they can’t afford fare back, how can they pay their wards fees?”
John Ameh, a butcher at Kuje Market, said: “School resumption is always a nightmare, especially first term when parents spend lots of money because of movement to new classes or new schools.
“Thank God this is not first term, so I am not paying for books this term. But I still have to settle school fees, which come in thousands of naira.
“However, my children have resumed without payments, which is on like me. I am highly optimistic that I will pay their school fees before the end of January.”
Lawrence Mirabel, said: “The economic situation in the country has turned most parents to emergency economist. We agreed that our last child would start school this January. But with the way things are going, he can’t start this term.
“School owners increased everything last term due to increase in fuel price. With what I am seeing, more increment is coming. Life hasn’t been easy at all.”
Afolabi Ahmed, electronics dealer and father of four did not allow himself to be carried away by Yuletide celebration: “The school expenditures were what I did before venturing into Christmas gifts. I have settled everything and my wards are back to school. One of the reasons parents are lamenting today is because most of them didn’t plan towards it.”
•Afolabi
Teachers in most private schools were not left out. They lamented that their workloads have increased with no increment in salaries due to the economy situation in the country. Agnes Egbe teaches in a private school at Jabi: “I never planned of resuming in that school because the pressure is not worth it. I do the job of a teacher and class assistant because our management sacked most of them.
“They said they couldn’t meet up with payment. I can manage stress if my pay is reviewed.” A teacher in Maitama, Loveth Iro, also admitted that workloads have increased with out increased in salaries.
• Egbe
However, a proprietor of a private school in Utako, who does not want her name on print, said she has been in the business for over seven years. She said since the increase in fuel price, business has been very poor despite the fact that some teachers were relieved of their services:
“Though we increased the tuition and other things, it is still difficult to meet up demands of teachers. Most parents are still owning last session’s fees. I used to have about 17 teachers but have reduced to 10.
• Lawrence
“Anytime we plan sending the children home, their parents will come to plead and make promises. We will have no choice but to allow them because it is not also easy in our homes.
“I think it high time for government to look for a way out. Our business is going down with debts and we are not sure of recovery.”