As the new academic session begins, thousands of school-age children in Bauchi State are struggling to return to classes due to a significant increase in school fees. Parents who previously managed to send their children to private schools, paying minimal fees, are now facing financial strain as new term fees have skyrocketed from between N20,000 and N28,000 to between N46,000 and N63,000 per child.
This dramatic increase has raised alarms among education stakeholders, parents, and policymakers, who warn of dire consequences for the state and the nation’s future if nothing is done to get children back to school. The hike in school fees is particularly concerning for Bauchi State, which already has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children in Nigeria, estimated at 1.2 million according to a UNESCO 2022 report.
Although the state government claims to have reduced that figure by 521,000, many children are still being forced out of school due to the unaffordable fees. Aisha Aliyu, a mother of three, expressed her frustration to Arewa Voice, stating that since school resumed in early September, her children have been staying at home because she and her husband cannot pay the increased fees.
“I was shocked when I got to the school and was told that the fees had doubled,” Aisha said. “We couldn’t afford it, so I had to withdraw two and let the little girl remain in school with the little money I had planned to use to pay for all three of them.”
She added that they are considering registering the older children in a public school, despite concerns about the lack of facilities there. “Even then, the children will still have to wait for the second term to resume school because we currently do not have a Kobo at home,” she lamented.
The situation highlights the urgent need for intervention and support from both the state and federal governments to ensure that all children have access to education, regardless of their financial background.