In response to growing economic challenges following the removal of subsidies, the governments of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa have issued stern warnings to private school proprietors against arbitrary fee hikes and violations of educational regulations.
These measures aim to protect struggling families and uphold the right to quality, affordable education.
In Borno State, Bulama Abiso, chairman of the coalition of civil society organisations, stressed the need for collaboration to maintain fairness in education. He stated:
“Education is a shared responsibility. We must work together to ensure that schools operate in a way that balances quality education with affordability. Arbitrary fee hikes undermine this balance and place unnecessary burdens on families.”
Echoing this, Borno Commissioner of Education, Lawan Wakilbe, reminded school owners that unilateral fee increases without parental input would not be tolerated.
“It is unacceptable for schools to impose fee increases without first consulting Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs). Parents are key stakeholders in education, and their voices must be heard in decisions that affect their children’s schooling,” he emphasized.
In Yobe State, Commissioner for Basic Education, Abba Idris, declared a cap of N50,000 per student for private primary and secondary schools. He warned that schools breaching this cap would face sanctions, stating, “Education in Yobe is a social service, not a commercial enterprise.”
Idris also highlighted the state’s commitment to monitoring school standards. Recently, government inspectors confiscated textbooks promoting inappropriate content, underscoring the importance of aligning education with community values.
“The inspectors are performing well in ensuring that the school curriculum is adhered to, teaching methods are effective, the culture and religion of our people are respected and their needs are adequately taken care of,” he added.
In Adamawa State, Commissioner for Education, Garba Pella, insisted that any fee increases must be justified and approved by the government.
“The government has made it a policy that whenever there is a need for them to increase fees, they should write to the ministry for the government to be able to know the rationale behind the increase,” Pella explained.
