Olusegun Ariyo
Human Rights Lawyer, Femi Falana, has frowned at the recent hike in school fees by the Federal and Lagos State governments, describing it as illegal.
federal government of Nigeria had in July 2023 increased fees for Unity Schools from N45,000 to N100,000 per term, an increase of over 120 percent.
In the same vein, the Lagos State Government, during the weekend announced N100,000 as the new fee for the state-owned boarding schools which was previously N35,000.
Reacting, Falana described it as a violation of the Child’s Rights Law.
He lamented that with the increase being above the Minimum Wage of N70,000, a worker could no longer sponsor even one child either in Unity School or any secondary school in Lagos State.
The senior lawyer, however, vowed to challenge the decision in the appropriate High Court.
“The federal government has increased the fee payable in all unity schools from N45,000 to N100,000 per term. Thus, the fee payable per annum is N300,000 per student.
“Similarly, the Lagos State Government has fixed fees payable in all secondary schools at N100,000 per term or N300,000 per annum by every student.
“At N70,000 minimum wage, the salary of a worker per term of four months is N28,000. The implication is that a worker can no longer sponsor even one child either in the unity school or any secondary school in Lagos State.
“However, under the Child’s Rights Act and Lagos State Child’s Rights Law, every child is entitled to free and compulsory education from primary to junior secondary school. To that extent, the imposition of N100,000 fees on students in junior secondary schools in Unity Schools and Secondary schools in Lagos is illegal.
“Given the clear provisions of the Child’s Rights Laws applicable in all the states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, the illegal imposition of prohibitive fees on junior secondary school students will be challenged in the appropriate High Court,” he argued.
