Resumption wahala: How parents are struggling with fees, Transport and books

It is that time again. From Lagos to Abuja, Ibadan to Ede and Osogbo, the sound of school bells is back. Children are happy to see their friends again, but for many parents, this September resumption has come with serious pressure. The story is the same everywhere — everything has become expensive at the same time.

For families with children in primary and secondary schools, both private and public, this term is one of the hardest in recent years. Parents are not just paying school fees, they are also struggling with transport, textbooks, uniforms, food and other small levies that schools now ask for.

How Much Are Parents Really Paying?

In Lagos, many private schools increased their fees between 25% and 50%. A school in Alimosho that charged N180,000 last session now charges N250,000. In Abuja, a popular secondary school in Kubwa moved from N300k to N420k per term. Public schools did not increase tuition, but PTA levies, lesson fees and exam fees have gone up.

• School fees: This is the biggest headache. Most schools sent messages in August about new fees, giving parents less than two weeks to prepare. A mother of three in Agege said, "I received message on Sunday night that school fees don increase by N60k per child. I have three children. Where I wan start from?" Many parents had to borrow from cooperatives or do ajo contribution just to meet deadline.

• School bus and transport: Since fuel price went to over N900 per litre, school bus owners have no choice. In Lagos, bus fee per child moved from N30k to N50k or N60k per term. In Abuja, some routes now charge N70k. Parents who cannot afford bus are waking up by 4:30am to drop children before going to work. One father in Bwari told https://dailytrust.com that he spends N2,500 daily on keke and okada just for school runs.

• Textbooks and notebooks: This one is biting hard. A full set of textbooks for a primary 4 pupil now costs between N65,000 and N95,000 in markets like Yaba, Tejuosho and Wuse. Even exercise books that were N200 last year are now N500 to N700. Publishers say paper cost has increased, but parents say schools force them to buy new editions every term even when old ones still work.

• Uniforms, shoes and bags: In Ede and Osogbo, uniform sellers at Owode market said sales are slow. Instead of buying two uniforms, parents now buy one and manage. A school sandal that was N4,500 is now N9,000. School bags that were N7,000 are now N15,000. Many parents are patching old uniforms and polishing old shoes.

• Food and lunch money: With food prices high, giving children lunch money is another problem. Parents who used to give N500 daily now give N1,000 and it still does not buy much. Some mothers now wake up early to cook rice and put in flask to cut cost.

What Parents Are Saying in Major Cities

In Lagos, Mrs. Funke, a trader in Iyana Ipaja with two children in primary school, said she had to choose between paying rent and paying school fees. "I begged the proprietor to allow me pay half. He said I must pay at least 70% before my children enter class. I had to borrow from my sister."

In Abuja, Mr. Ibrahim, a civil servant in Gwagwalada, has four children in secondary school. "My salary is N120k. One child's school fees is N180k. How do they expect me to cope? We are just managing. Government needs to help us with public schools," he said.

In Ibadan and Ede, parents with children in public schools also complain. Even though public school is free, they still pay for PTA levy, lesson, uniform and books. A parent at Baptist High School Ede said, "We pay N15k for PTA, N10k for lesson, plus books. It is still money. If you have 4 children, calculate am."

Students also feel it. A JSS2 student in Egbeda said many of her classmates have not resumed because their parents have not paid. "In my class we are 35 but only 22 have come. Teacher said others will come when their parents pay."

How Parents Are Coping

Despite the hardship, Nigerian parents are trying their best.

• Installment payment: Many now beg schools to allow them pay in two or three installments.

• Buying fairly-used: Parents now buy fairly-used uniforms, bags and even textbooks. In Yaba market, second-hand book sellers said they now have more customers.

• Contribution and ajo: Mothers do daily contribution of N2k or N5k specifically for school fees.

• Moving children: Some parents are moving their children from expensive private schools to cheaper ones or to public schools. Head teachers in Ede North confirm they received many new pupils from private schools this term.

• Extra work: Fathers are doing extra hustle — after work they do okada, POS business or evening lesson to raise money.

What Can Help

Parents are calling on government and school owners to have mercy. They want schools to stop increasing fees every term and to allow old textbooks. They also want Lagos and Osun State governments to make public schools better so parents have good alternative. As reported by https://punchng.com, some NGOs are already calling for price control on textbooks.

For now, resumption has happened, but the pressure is still on many homes. As one mother in Oke Gada, Ede put it, "We thank God our children are back to school, but the pocket is really feeling it. We just dey manage