School reopening: Osun parents lament high tuition fees, fuel costs, etc.
Parents in Osun State have expressed concern over high school fees, soaring food and fuel costs as students and students reopen for the third term of the 2023/2024 academic year.
In a chat with DAILY POST on Sunday, Mrs Florence Oluwagbemiga, a parent and banker, said the situation was not easy regarding the high prices of food items.
She also revealed that towards the end of the second term, the school notified parents of an increase in the tuition fees they would pay when they resumed this term.
According to her, “I send my kids to private schools. We all know that public schools in this state are just a shadow of that.
“We are worried about tuition increases. Schools raise tuition fees on their own terms. You can imagine schools increasing tuition fees three times per class. This is the reality we face because we want our children to receive the best education possible.
“Okay, the kids are back in action. We all know what that means. They eat at home, they eat at school, and we also give them snacks and other things. Everything has to give. This is hitting deep into our pockets. We need to do some things quickly to get the situation under control.”
Another parent, fashion designer Rashidat Jimoh, said she breathed a sigh of relief when her children left home, but she also knew it wouldn't be long before they reopened.
She recalled the transportation nightmare she always encountered when transporting her children from home to school and back at the end of the day.
“I had a car until my car broke down. Now, I have to take my kids on my commercial bike from home to the main road. From there I take a minibus (Korope) to go to school. .
“After closing, I have to go from my store to school to pick up my kids from the store.
“After work for the day, we take a minibus back home and another commercial motorbike from the main road to go home. Most of the time this is around 8 or 9 p.m. We are so tired. So I just fall asleep.
“But I always eat dinner at my restaurant.”
She lamented that fuel shortages have been felt in the state recently, making transportation costs for her and her children a major concern.
“I don't even know how to start. I expect transport fares to increase by 100 percent due to this unnecessary fuel shortage,” she said.
Hussein Arogun, a civil servant, regretted the lack of good schools in his area after Fountain College in Osogbo.
He said he brings six local children into town Monday through Friday before work and after closing time.
“We travel from my community by commercial motorbike to Isare-Osun and from there we take a minibus to Ogo-Oluwa area where the school is located.
“Then I go to the office at the State Government Secretariat, Abele. Once the school closes, I go to the school and home to collect it. The same process continues the next day. Now that schools are to reopen from Monday, this fuel shortage has become a problem for me. It hasn't been easy because I don't have a car yet so I don't know how to cope with my six children,'' he said.
Speaking to DAILY POST in Osogbo on Monday morning, the school’s proprietress, who identified herself as Florence, also said she was looking forward to a challenging term.
He said he was aware of the fact that some parents were dissatisfied with the high fees charged by some schools.
“This is not entirely our fault. A variety of factors cause tuition fees to increase.
“These factors include staff salaries, administrative costs, fuel if the school has a generator, stationery purchases and Times rental, she said.
“We need to survive and we need to survive. We are all trying to survive here in Nigeria. Our demands are legitimate and do not punish our relatives.” she concluded.
Owing to the shortage of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), the Osun State Government on Sunday, through the Task Force on Petroleum Price Monitoring, issued a warning to owners of petrol stations in the state to ensure that they do not hoard petroleum products to create artificial scarcity. warned the person.
The warning was issued in a statement by the task force chairman and chief of staff to the state governor, Kazeem Akinleye, in Osogbo on Sunday.
The warning was necessitated following reports of soaring pump prices for PMS, also known as petrol, and the resurgence of long queues at petrol stations in some parts of the country.
The government said the decision to issue the warning came after monitoring reports showed trends in the situation.
The state government reminded market players of the already difficult economic conditions affecting the people, while urging the task force to remain public in setting prices for petroleum products.
The government also warned that any hoarders caught would face the full wrath of the law.
Source: dailypost.ng