N42m school fees: Why we can’t sanction Charterhouse schools over high fees, by Lagos govt.

Ayodele Oalere

The Lagos State Government has said it can not sanction Charterhouse, a private School, in Lekki area of the state, over the N42 million schools fees it charges per annum per student because it has no right to do so.

 

 

 

 

 

According to the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, while answering questions after reeling out achievements of Governor Sanwo-Olu in education, during the 2nd day of the 2024 Ministerial Press Briefing held at Alausa Secretariat, the state government has no control over fees charged by private school owners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“ We regulate activities of private schools but the schools are there to make money. They can charge any amount. It’s left for the parents to make their choice of school. It’s the parents that take their children to the private schools. As a government, we can’t compel them to charge a certain amount. We don’t have control over their prices, “ the Commissioner noted.

 

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He urged parents to patronise public schools as the state has invested in infrastructure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alli-Balogun further said that Sanwo-Olu’s administration has done a lot in the education sector by building four new schools since 2019 while three others are under construction.

 

 

 

 

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While 165 public schools have been rehabilitated, 1,047 new classrooms have been built to date in all the six educational districts through the Special Committee on Rehabilitation of Public Schools (SCRPS).

 

 

 

 

 

Other achievements, according to the Commissioner, include the promotion of 2,902 teaching and non-teaching staff ‘with a view to boosting their morale and enhancing their commitment to teaching career and retention in the system.’

 

 

 

 

 

In the area of learning materials, Alli-Balogun said 5,000 learning packs under ‘Lagos Learns Together” (LLT) have been distributed to public schools, among other initiatives which has impacted positively on the education sector in the state.