PTA urges FG to slash boarding fees, address deplorable infrastructure in South West Unity Schools

The South-West zone of the Unity Schools Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) has appealed to the Federal Government to slash downward boarding school fees, noting that an astronomical increase will adversely affect children’s welfare when they resume this week.

The forum made the appeal, at the weekend, in a statement jointly signed by its Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Lukuman Adekilekun and Zonal Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Onyenuche.

It also used the opportunity to congratulate the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman and Minister of State for Education, Tanko Sununu.

The statement reads in part: “Permit us to bring these issues of great concern to the entire parents as it affects the astronomical increase in the boarding fees. We see this development as a conduit pipe to further impoverish the parents who are already swimming in the ocean of the current oil subsidy removal with its attendant economic hardship.

“We, therefore, solicit your intervention by directing downward a slash in the boarding fees since the Federal Government has been subsidising this item as it has a direct effect on our children’s welfare.”

The forum lamented the deplorable state of infrastructure in unity schools.

According to the forum “It is imperative to address the deplorable state of infrastructure in these unity schools. The decaying infrastructure places an extra financial burden on parents, who are often compelled to fill the gaps in maintaining the schools’ facilities. We implore the government to take a holistic approach to funding and maintaining these institutions so as to alleviate the financial pressure and burden on parents as well as ensuring power and water supply is adequate.

“On the shortage of teachers, parents as partners in progress have been filling the gap in the areas of PTA teachers and non-teaching staff to cover any existing staffing lacuna in unity schools. We, therefore, appeal to the government to absorb the PTA-employed teachers who work hand in hand with government-employed ones to enable them to sustain the educational standards in unity schools. It’s worrisome to state that some of the teachers have been hopeful of their employment conversion for over a decade. This measure will significantly reduce the financial burden on parents and ensure the continued delivery of quality education.

“The PTA forum that cuts across the 19 unity schools in South-West earnestly requests government’s consideration of these crucial matters to ensure that unity schools remain beacons of hope for all Nigerians.”