Some parents in Lagos State have lamented the increase in bus fares of their children’s schools across the state as schools in the state resumed for second term on Monday.
The parents, who spoke with The PUNCH in separate interviews on Monday, decried the hike and its frequency while calling on the government for regulation.
James Goriola, who spoke with our correspondent in the Ketu area of the state, said it was worrisome that his children’s school increased its bus fee for two consecutive terms.
“When they resumed for the first term in September last year, they increased the bus fare by over 100 per cent. They claimed it was due to the economic situation of the country.
“Now again, as they just resumed for the second term, they’ve increased the fare again by almost 40 per cent. This is too much,” Goriola said.
Another parent, Mrs Bukola Bolaji, noted that her son’s school increased its bus fare for two consecutive terms, saying “the government needs to regulate these private schools properly.”
“We’re all facing the same economic challenges. No one is spared. Why are they adding to parents’ hardships? We will pay school fees, which many of them increase anytime and anyhow they like; and then payment for a school bus is also being increased,” Bolaji added.
Similarly, a parent, who simply gave his name as Bidemi, said he almost stopped his children from using their school bus because of the hike.
He said, “I didn’t want my children to continue using their school bus. Money is not easy to come by. Why will they keep increasing school fees and bus fares?”
Speaking with The PUNCH, a school proprietor who pleaded anonymity, said the hike in bus fare was for the maintenance of the school’s vehicles.
“We need to maintain the vehicles. We need to buy fuel. The pump price of petrol is on the rise. Vehicles’ spare parts are costly too. So, it’s not our fault,” he said.
Responding to an inquiry by our correspondent, the Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Ganiu Lawal, said the government had no regulatory role with regard to the fees charged by private schools in the state.
“The only regulatory role the government plays is to make sure that if anybody is setting up a private school, that school must have some prerequisites, part of which is that the safety of the child must be ensured, the curriculum to be taught follows the national curriculum and the policy of Lagos.
“But in terms of how much the various schools charge, you know, that depends on what they are offering. We can only appeal that private school owners should allow parents ‘to breathe’ considering the harsh economy of the country,” Lawal added.
The PUNCH reports that transportation costs and prices of items have skyrocketed since June following the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.
In October, the National Bureau of Statistics put the inflation rate in the country at 27.33 per cent.
