UMUAHIA – Parents and guardians of pupils and students of National Institute for Nigerian Languages, NINLAN, nursery, primary and secondary Demonstration schools in Aba, Abia state,have cried to President Bola Tinubu over what they described as the imposition of levies by the management of the NINLAN.
The PTA stated that the NINLAN Demonstration Secondary Schools which are under the management of NINLAN, are both federal schools, stressing that the tuition fees go to the federal government and are expected to be under the regulation of the federal government, under NINLAN.
In an interview with journalists in Aba,Chairman of the Parents Teachers Association, PTA, Dr Chidi Emenike, said that the parents were shocked that the Executive Director of NINLAN, Professor Ogbonna Onuoha, announced increases of over 100% in tuition and boarding fees for the 2025/2026 academic session, which rates they see as unrealistic and unsustainable.
He said; “Under the new charges, fees for the primary section jumped from ₦20,000 to ₦44,500 per term, while secondary school fees rose from ₦35,000 to ₦65,000. Boarding fees were also raised from ₦100,000 to ₦140,000, despite a reduction in food prices nationwide.
“Other levies, including caution fees of ₦20,000 per secondary student and ₦10,000 per primary pupil every year. Over 85% of the students of the schools do not stay in the hostels, but they are expected to pay ₦10,000 medical fees every term for secondary students and ₦5,000 per term for nursery and primary, despite not having any hospital, just a dispensary that has just first aid equipment.
“Despite the increase in school fees, an additional ₦5,000 was introduced as an examination fee. Again, another ₦5,000 called the ICT levy was also introduced to be paid termly.
“These hikes are unbearable and defeat the very essence of the demonstration schools, which were established to provide affordable education for the children of NINLAN staff and the host community.”
Emenike lamented that most parents cannot afford to pay the levies which he described as ‘extortionist’.
On his part,a member of the PTA,Barr. Chukwuemeka Nwachukwu, noted that the demonstration schools receive subventions from the federal government NINLAN, and should not be run like private schools where decisions are forced on parents without consultation and proper deliberation.
He stated that the PTA is not against the original tuition fee of ₦65,000, which they pay through Remita, but are against the ‘extortionist’ intentions of the school management following the introduction of obnoxious levies.
Nwachukwu also explained that the school management did not consult the PTA before taking the decision and urged President to urgently and reverse the increments.
He lamented that it baffles him why a demonstration school should have school fees almost at the level of the minimum wage when almost all the staff in the school are paid by the federal government directly.
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