Schools Resume Amid Biting Economy

Pupils resuming for school

As many public and private schools across Nigeria resume the 2025/2026 academic session today, parents are expressing deep concerns over skyrocketing fees, textbooks, bus fees and other charges imposed by proprietors.

This is coming at a time of the rising cost of living crisis across the country whereby inflation has eaten deep into citizens’ income.Some parents who enrolled their children in private schools said the burden of increment in charges was getting out of hand; while some poor parents said they left their children at the mercy of poor facilities in public schools.Many of the parents, who spoke to Daily Trust, alleged that private schools have turned education into a business venture, leaving families struggling to cope. Those whose children are in public schools decried hidden charges by headmasters and teachers amid poor learning environment.Our correspondents report that many public primary and secondary schools in some states are suffering from poor infrastructure with frustrated teachers being in charge.

In most of such public schools, only children of the poor are enrolled, as most of the elite working at the local, state and national levels prefer to take their children to private schools in urban and semi-urban communities.

In the midst of these challenges, middle income earners in both private and government sectors strive to enroll their children in private schools where they believe they will get desired results.

Some parents in this category said to meet up with “exorbitant” fees and charges imposed by proprietors in private schools, they resorted to borrowing.

But proprietors defended the increase in school fees and other charges, citing “huge” taxes imposed on them by government. They also alleged extortion by supervisors posted by local authorities.

This is even as education experts called on government to revive public schools to address the menace in the sector.