Following the controversy that trailed the increment of boarding fees in all State’ Model Colleges from N25, 000 to N50, 000, the Lagos State Government has finally bowed to collect N35,000 per term as Boarding fees as proposed by the parents .
The state had proposed that since it would spend an average of N125, 000 on each student per term, the parents should pay N50, 000, while the government would bear the N75,000 per student.
This was resisted by the parents, who said they could only pay N30,000 per student.
The new resolution was however, made known at a press briefing addressed by the Chairman of the House Committee on education, Ganiyu Okanlawon, after a stakeholders’ meeting held on Tuesday at the State Assembly Complex.
According to the chairman, the new boarding fees would be paid for two terms, after which the state would do a downward or upward review of the fees, depending on the outcome of the experiment.
His words: “When this matter got to the House, the Speaker, Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa mandated the committee on education to look into the matter with a view to resolving it amicably and that is what we have done today.
“After much deliberations, we have resolved that the sum of N35,000 proposed by the parents be adopted as the decision of the house and all the stakeholders.
“This proposed sum will run for a period of two terms, to determine its workability, after which a review will be done, either upward or downward”.
“During the two terms, the parent’s forum shall not interfere with the running of the boarding system in order to have a true outcome of the experiment and no additional financial burden should be put on the parents by the forum,” he said.
Also, speaking, the state Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting, while thanking the parents for their cooperation.