After weeks of recess, primary and secondary schools across the country will resume for new academic session this week, however the resumption is coming at a time when many Nigerians are battling with the harsh economy realities.
With soaring inflation rate and an astronomical increase in prices of commodities and services largely caused by the Petrol subsidy removal, many parents are having a tough time with preparation for the new academic year.
The first term of every academic year is known to be a period of transition for many students and pupils.
New classes mean new school uniforms, textbooks, and additional expenses for parents and guardians who are already stretched beyond limit.
The situation is now being compounded further as many schools in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital have reacted to the economy situation by increasing their fees and other necessary charges leaving parents frustrated.
ValidViewNetwork in this special report, went to town to gauge the level of preparedness of parents, guardians and school proprietors.
Some parents who spoke with ValidViewNetwork voiced their concern and frustration on the situation.
For Mrs Memunat Sowunmi, a resident of Obantoko in Abeokuta, Ogun state, the situation has called for a rethink.
“Everything is expensive, transportation, feeding, housing, school feeand school items, everything has jumped up.
“We just have to buckle up, get the most important things and keep praying that things will get better”
The mother of four also lamented the devaluation of the naira.
“I know that not because they just want to increase, it is because the value of our money eight now is nothing.”
An entrepreneur, Mrs Damilola Otulana, a mother of two expressed her disappointment over her inability to meet up with what her children need for school resumption.
“I won’t lie to you, things are very difficult, I have not get everything my children need to even start school on Monday but I’m just going to rugged it.”
Mrs Ogundipe whose child is in primary five in a private school in Abeokuta, noted that the fuel subsidy removal has affected every sector of the economy including education.
She bemoaned that her son’s school increased the fee more than 100%. The frustrated mother said, she had attempted to change the school due to the increase but the four schools she went to have all also increase their fee as well.
“I tried changing the school of my child, but getting to where I want to change to, they’ve increase their price as well. More than four schools that I got to, there is hike in the school fee, school uniform, textbooks and every other thing.
The increase is more than 100%. The school management informed us on the school platform that there is nothing they can do than t increase the price.”
The parents appealed to the school proprietors and managements to be considerate in their approach to fee adjustments and payment.
“What I will advise the school, they should try and be lenient in this session because in my son’s school, they don’t entertain half payment. I will suggest that some of these schools should entertain half payment at the beginning, then before the exam they should allow the parents to pay up,” said Mrs Ogundipe.
She chided the government for removing fuel subsidy without proper planning on how to mitigate the resultant effect.
“For the government, there is no proper planning before the hike in price. You cannot just come and increase price of fuel*
Mrs Otulana called on the government to act fast.
“The government are not really doing well to be sincere, they really need to do something about it. This is getting crazy, things are difficult, d the want us to die of hunger.”
For Mrs Sowunmi, government needs to start thinking about the masses and ensure that the cost the cost of living of the common man is better.”
