Residents of Abia and Imo States are voicing their frustrations over the exorbitant fees charged by private schools, citing weak government regulations as the root cause of this growing concern. Education stakeholders are calling for urgent reforms to ensure quality education remains accessible to all.
In Abia State, many believe that the commercialization of education is fueled by the government’s inability to enforce effective regulatory policies. Osondu Kalu, a father of two, argued that “effective monitoring of private schools by the relevant authorities would help keep them in check for the purpose of quality education.”
He pointed out that high fees do not always translate to quality, as issues such as unqualified teachers and substandard curricula persist.
Echoing similar sentiments, civil servant Dorine Ahamefule criticized the profit-driven nature of many private schools, saying, “Some private schools were set up to make money rather than impart knowledge to young minds.”
She stressed that parents should see the impact of their financial investment in their children’s academic performance, highlighting the need for schools to pay teachers well to improve motivation and productivity.
Ikenna Ebiri, a disability advocate, warned against equating high fees with quality education. He noted, “In spite of the high fees, not all private schools invest adequately in infrastructure or human resources.” Mr. Ebiri called for an enhanced regulatory framework to ensure private schools meet basic standards in teacher qualifications, facilities, and curricula.
Parents are feeling the strain. Kalu Ukpai lamented, “Some private schools charge exorbitant fees but employ unqualified teachers, whom they pay poor salaries.” He urged the government to introduce scholarships and other financial relief to ease the burden on families.
In Imo State, teachers in private schools revealed their struggles with low pay despite the high fees collected from students. Oluchukwu Ferdinand, who holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Education, shared her frustration: “My employer always referred to the HND/BSc dichotomy as his reason for underpaying his teaching staff.” Another teacher, Uchechi Okoro, blamed the lack of government oversight for the situation, arguing that inexperienced corps members shouldn’t be relied on for core teaching duties.
Highlighting the operational challenges, Edward Okoro, Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association at Holy Rosary Secondary School, Umuahia, explained that schools with small student populations struggle to cover running costs. Rose Uzoka, Dean of the College of Education at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, suggested government subsidies for private schools to curb high fees. She noted, “Most private schools pay tangible amounts of taxes to the government and need to recover the money through school fees.”
As frustrations mount, stakeholders are united in urging the government to improve public education infrastructure and enforce stricter monitoring of private schools. They argue that making public schools more attractive would reduce the reliance on costly private education.
Source: NAN/Edugist
