Saheed Ibrahim

“Maybe we should go to the private schools on our street,” Mrs *Ronke, with a sad look on her oblong face, told her son as she was given the list of books to be bought and the total fees payable at CAC Grammar School Akure.

The woman in her late 30s appeared to be a person with a hearing disability. Her son used his finger to write on her arm, N27,700, which is to cover books. Her son, *Lekan, reassured his distressed mother, “If we go to the private school, you will have to pay every term, but let us try pay this one now and you won’t have to pay this much again.”

Mrs Ronke and her son Lekan

Although the woman understood her son, raising about N100,000 to cover her son’s school needs was a major concern for her. After speaking with her, I watched as she pulled her son away, her eyes brimming with tears, but she made sure not to cry in front of her little boy.

The plight of Mrs Ronke represents the situation faced by many parents sending their children to public secondary schools in Ondo State, especially in Akure, as schools resume for the 2024-2025 academic session. 

This is not the first time, it is a recurrent experience whenever schools resume for a new academic session.

With increased prices of school commodities, transport fare and harsh economic conditions in the country, grappling with heavy demands from schools culminate the frustrations of parents and guardians.

This three weeks investigation delved into the demands by public secondary schools in Akure, Ondo State capital, despite the state government warnings to schools to desist from demanding illegal fees and selling of books and uniforms to parents/students.

What Did the Ondo Government Say?

The Ondo State Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Mr Olaolu Akindolire, warned heads of public schools in the state against collecting unapproved levies from admission seekers into the State’s Public Primary and Secondary Schools.

The Commissioner was responding to reports alleging that some school heads were charging extra levies beyond those approved by the state government during the ongoing 2024 admission exercise.

He maintained that the state government had provided the approved list of collectables for both public primary and secondary schools to all principals, headmasters, and other heads of public institutions across the state, and warned against imposing additional burdens on parents.

According to the circular signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, Mrs Folasade Adegoke, the total amount collectable from new intakes into public primary schools was set at N5,000, while new intakes into public secondary schools are to pay a total of no more than N14,000 and N11,000 for returning students.

The amount, as detailed in the circular, covers PTA levies, examinations, ICT, sports development, utilities, medical, security, entrepreneurship/agriculture, CASS, running expenses, and administrative charges for external examinations, among others.

The circular also instructed all new intakes to come to their school of choice with the following items: one hoe, one cutlass, a locker and a chair, a broom, and two file jackets during the registration exercise.

Mr Akindolire therefore warned that no school head has the mandate to collect money for textbooks or school uniforms but should provide parents/guardians with samples of recommended uniforms and lists of recommended textbooks.

The Commissioner cautioned school principals and headteachers against collecting additional items from prospective students or charging extra levies beyond those approved by the state government and outlined in the circular.

The state government has several times assured citizens, residents, school administrators and teachers of commitment to quality education standard

Schools Demand Varied Fees

The Hope investigated several schools in Akure and sought information from parents with children newly admitted into secondary schools in the state capital.

The schools visited were St Louis Grammar School, Oyemekun Grammar School, St Peter’s Unity School, Adegbola Memorial Grammar School, and Fiwasaye Girls Grammar School. We also gathered information from parents with children newly admitted to Akure Muslim College and Igoba High School.

One of the major irregularities was the inconsistent fees demanded by schools as Parents-Teachers’ Association (PTA) fees.

Payable fees at Adegbola Memorial Grammar School

The PTA fee is N4,000 at Adegbola Memorial Grammar School, N2,000 at Oyemekun Grammar School with an additional N3,000 for a special PTA project, N4,800 at St Louis, and N3,000 at St Peter’s Unity.

Payable fees at Ijapo High School

At Ijapo High School, the PTA fee costs N2,000, while the PTA special fee is N3,000.

A unique fee charged by all the schools is for “miscellaneous”. Besides the fact that this payment is not covered by the list of payable fees released by the state government, the schools investigated charge different amounts for miscellaneous fees.

New students are required to pay N8,500 for miscellaneous at Adegbola, N12,300 at Oyemekun, N12,300 at St Louis, and N10,000 and N9,500 at Ijapo High School for JSS 1 and other classes respectively. Adegbola Memorial charges N9,000 as miscellaneous for JSS 1 students and N8,500 for others.

Payable fees at Oyemekun Grammar School

At CAC Grammar School, the school payable fees just showed N15,000 and N4,800 without description of what they are meant for.

Payable fees at CAC grammar School and St Peter’s Unity

There are several other unspecified fees that parents have to pay. While the state government directed parents to bring office files to schools, these files are monitored and cost between N500 and N5,000.

Some schools, like Igoba High School, sell tables and lockers, and if you don’t buy from the school, “you must pay a thousand naira to have them painted in the school,” Mrs Titilope explained to The Hope.

Payable fees at St Louis Girls Grammar School

Each school also charges different fees for robotics and digital subjects. While Ijapo charges N5,300, St Peter’s Unity School charges N2,300.

How Do Parents Buy Uniforms and Books?

One of the state government’s major directives was that schools should provide samples of their uniforms for parents and guardians to purchase for their children. This was intended to ensure that parents are not frustrated and can easily provide for their children. List of books are to be given to parents and not compelled to buy from the schools. However, The Hope found the opposite.

The schools are being cunning. Despite the directive from the state government, they have found another method to sell uniforms to parents and books. Rather than selling the uniforms directly, parents are required to buy from a designated “school tailor”. In reality, the tailors work for the schools as uniform fees are paid directly to the schools.

Many of the schools choose locations outside their premises to have the uniforms sewn for new students. This tactic is designed to avoid detection by government officials for flouting the state government’s directive. I visited some of the designated tailors to confirm. Parents also shared their experiences.

At St Peter’s Unity, the money is paid along with other fees into bank accounts provided by the school. Uniforms, badges, sportswear, and ID cards cost N23,950, with an additional N6,000 for a cardigan. Students will receive these items at the school.

At St Louis, two sets of uniforms cost N14,000. The fee is payable to the school. The collection location is two blocks past the school building on the ground floor of a two-storey shopping complex. If one is heading towards Access Bank from the school gate, the uniform collection point is two buildings past the school fence.

Uniform collection point for St Louis Grammar School

Some staff members of the school were found in charge of distribution when I visited with parents and new students.

Mr Bishop, a small-scale craftsman, struggles to support his wife and two children given the current economic realities.

“What can I do? They asked us to pay, and I must comply. This is my first daughter, and she needs to go to school. We were instructed to make the payment and then collect the uniform at that building you saw. The uniforms are already packed. I paid N14,000 for the two pieces, but not including the cardigan,” Bishop explained.

For Oyemekun Grammar School, the uniform collection point is on Adinlewa Street, behind Bola Komo Ventures. You need to walk down the untarred road beside Bola Komo until you reach a fork in the road, then turn right. The shop is a few metres from the junction, where you will see parents, students getting the uniforms.

Oyemekun Grammar School Uniform collection point

“You cannot buy from outside. Everything is packed together—the uniform, cardigan, and cap. So, you pay and receive them,” Mrs Oyeniran, whom I met at the point where parents check the school’s admission list, explained. According to her, she works in the school.

“But why can’t I just buy from outside or get some items from the school and others from the market?” I asked. “The school doesn’t want the uniforms to be different. So, the best option is to buy it here. For the books, they are already packed, so you just pay and collect them,” she replied.

She outlined the admission process, which includes paying N2,500 to collect a file, another N2,500 to get the list of deliverables, and N35,000 for the uniforms. 

“If you need a locker and table, we have them here,” pointing to a building beside the school’s post office where tables and chairs painted in black are stored. It costs N15,000. If you bring them from outside, we can help with painting too,” Oyeniran explained.

At Adegbola Memorial Grammar School, uniforms cost N19,000. There is a designated bookshop and a tailor shop adjacent to the school gate. Compulsory textbooks for JSS 1 students cost N26,000.

Parents at Adegbola told The Hope that there is a designated shop for buying uniforms and textbooks, rather than bringing them from outside. According to them, it is compulsory to purchase from these shops.

One of the non-academic staff at the school explained that, for uniformity, the designated shop handles the sewing of uniforms for students, and parents only pay and return to collect the uniforms.

I visited the two shops and interacted with the shop owners as if I were a parent. Both shop owners confirmed that I had to pay N26,000 and N19,000 for textbooks and uniforms, respectively.

Uniform and book collection points for Adegbola M. Grammar School

Parents were seen making payments and collecting books and uniforms for their children. “What can we do? This is happening in all the schools, and we just have to buy and ensure our children receive their admission letters,” Mr Kolade said.

At CAC Grammar School, parents who spoke to The Hope said the school required them to purchase items from the school rather than from outside. The costs include N27,700 for the cardigan, uniform, socks, and cap. Money for books was not given when I visited.

At Fiwasaye Girls, the process is somewhat different. The school recently held a PTA meeting with parents where all the processes and payable fees were explained. Unlike other schools, Fiwasaye did not post the payable fees on the school walls, except this was done after our two visits.

I found that parents were required to pay a total of N27,000 for textbooks (JSS 1), N26,000 for uniforms, and N23,300 for other fees which cover PTA, miscellaneous and others.

Mrs Olabanke has two girls newly admitted to JSS 1 and SSS 1 respectively at the school. She could not hide her frustration while explaining the financial hurdles she had to overcome for her children’s admission, stating that without the fees, admission would not be granted.

Bimbo told The Hope that she had to pay N27,000 for textbooks for her daughter in JSS 1. “I also need to get chairs for my two children. I was told to get them outside the school, which cost N13,800 each. These expenses are so unbearable for us,” she added.

Mrs Bamidele confirmed the frustration and prices mentioned by other parents.

“The textbook costs N27,000, school tuition is N23,300, and the uniform is N26,000 for a girl going to JSS 1 in this kind of economy.

“The painful part is that we are not allowed to buy these items from outside except where we are directed to,” she lamented.

We visited the textbook and uniform collection points. Like other schools, the collection point was located outside the school.

Uniform collection point for Fiwasaye GGS

Textbooks are purchased at a building facing the school fence. Parents need only to visit the bookstore there, mention the classes their children are in, and pay the required fee to receive the books.

For uniforms, the collection point is at Ijapo Extension, on a street to the north-east of the school but outside its premises. Parents and students were found in the shop when we visited for measurements and collection of uniforms.

At Igoba High School, one of the parents, Mrs Akeem, was upset about her experience. She is a primary school teacher in a private school with a meagre salary.

“We bought everything from the school, except for the cutlass and hoe. We bought a table and chair from the school for N10,000.

“We also bought books and uniforms from the school. A pair of uniforms costs N6,000, and they do not allow us to buy from outside but require us to buy at least one item from the school.

“For books, we must buy from the school, but if we have some, we can bring them. However, we must buy the rest from the school,” she explained.

At Ijapo High School, the story is similar. Parents are not allowed to bring uniforms and books from outside but must buy from a designated place very close to the school.

One parent, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared her experience with The Hope.

“Aside from all the fees posted on the board, there is an additional N1,500 paid without a receipt. When we submitted our files, we paid N3,900, and when we went to pay for the second file, we paid another N1,000 to paint the desk and chair.

“They directed us to where to buy books and uniforms. After buying the books, we received a note to take to the school. If you do not buy the books from the specified place, they will not accept books bought elsewhere.

“We bought the uniform from the same place for N20,000, just for two pieces and a cardigan. We paid N24,400 for the books,” she explained.

I visited the location to confirm what the parents said. The location is a bungalow some blocks away from the school. From Ijapo Estate gate at Oke Ijebu, one will reach the building before a junction where a left turn leads to the school. First Victoria Castle is at the junction on the right side.

There is a signpost for Oyins Shopping More at the entrance of the building. There, parents and new students admitted to the school collect books and uniforms as directed by the school.

Books and uniform collection points for Ijapo High School

At Akure Muslim College, Mr *Oloni felt devastated upon seeing the amount of money to be paid.

“Uniform alone costs N28,500, and we cannot buy them outside the school. The total school fee charge is N20,300. They said the MIC fee is N15,300, PTA is N2,000, and special PTA is N3,000.”

When asked about books, he said, “The school hasn’t informed us yet, but they said they would tell us the amount when the books arrive.”

No Admission Letter Without All Payable Fees

To get admitted into any of the schools, a parent or guardian should be prepared to spend an average of N90,000 to N120,000; otherwise, no admission letter will be issued. 

“I have spent over N90,000 now at Igoba High School,” Mrs Titilope told The Hope. She continued, “Your child won’t be admitted if you do not pay all the fees and buy all the required items. But what can one do? Going to private schools is burdensome, and now government schools are costly too.”

Mrs Olabanke said that school expenses are very high, especially when a child is moving to a higher class like JSS 1 or SSS 1. “I have a child resuming in both junior and senior secondary classes, but the expenses are overwhelming,” she lamented. “For the junior secondary class, parents must budget at least a hundred thousand naira because they want to start a new class,” she explained.

Students inside Fiwasaye GGS

Mr Biodun also expressed his frustration. “I don’t even know how to manage the costs of all these books, badges, uniforms, and other necessities my child needs before resumption. My child wants to resume SSS 1, and I need to budget N110,000 because of the resumption. It’s too much for me. The government should do something about the cost of school expenses because not all parents can afford them,” he lamented.

Parents across the schools confirmed that they must follow the schools’ instructions and get the deliverables from where they are directed to before their wards are issued admission letters.

It’s Against Government Directives – PTA Chairman

Reacting to some schools defying the state government’s directive by collecting more than the approved amount, the Ondo State Chairman of the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA), Alhaji Abimbola Omoloja, said such an act is illegal and anyone caught will be disciplined.

“The government invited all stakeholders to a meeting some time ago and fixed collectables accepted by all of us. Anyone who goes beyond that is illegal, and what they do is null and void.

“Therefore, any teacher, headteacher, or principal caught should be disciplined because they should not go beyond the approved collectables by the government,” he said.

He encouraged parents to see education as the bedrock of progress, urging them to strive to buy books and uniforms for their children from the collectables approved by the state government.

Any Headteacher Found Wanting Will Be Disciplined – Commissioner

Reacting to our report, the Commissioner for Education, Laolu Akindolire, said schools and principals had been warned to desist from any act that would frustrate or bring hardship to parents and guardians.

“The government does not approve of any principal or any school authority collecting money for uniforms or textbooks.

“School principals are to make available the sample of the uniform to parents. The parents go get it on their own and sew it wherever they want.

“It goes for textbooks too. There is a list of approved textbooks to be used by all public schools in Ondo State. School authorities are to make available to parents a list of books, paste it on their notice board. Parents go to wherever they want, whether Lagos, whether this is the roadway, to purchase books for their wards, period.”

He reiterated that the Ondo State government does not charge tuition from students except for a few approved collectibles that are very much affordable for parents to pay, as agreed by the PTA in the state.

“The government is so much passionate about the plight of parents. So we will not support anybody to inflict hardship on them.

“And any principal, I even emphasised in that meeting, that any principal for whom I am able to get any concrete proof will be shown as an example. The person will find his way out of the system, out of the civil service,” he said.

*pseudonyms for confidentiality