UNILAG Women Society School Suspends Third Term Fees

THE Governing Board of the University of Lagos Women Society School has suspended payment of third term fees by parents.

In its place, the board introduced a monthly fee for e-learning. It also initiated a survey to ask parents if they wanted the online classes and comments about it.

Contrary to an earlier letter by the school’s head teacher, Mrs. Abimbola Afolabi, the board noted in a letter to parents that the third term had not started; and the e-learning programme was optional for pupils.

The letter signed by board secretary, Dr. R.O. Odunlade, reads: “The Board has decided that the online teaching service will only be available to pupils whose parents have indicated interest. Kindly find below proposed fees for the respective class categories: a) Nursery and Kindergarten: ?5,000 per month; b) Primary 1-3: ?7,000 per month; c) Primary 4: ?10,000 per month.”

The replacement of third term fees with the e-learning fees follows parents’ rejection of demands for third term fees by the school’s head teacher, Mrs Afolabi Abimbola,

The Nation had reported on May 21, 2020 that Mrs. Abimbola had asked parents to pay third term fees by June 5, 2020. Details of the fees were contained in a letter dated May 18, 2020.

In the letter, parents of Playgroup/Nursery pupils were to pay N49,000 (if the parent was a staff of the University of Lagos), or N82,800 (for non-members of staff of UNILAG) for the third term. Kindergarten pupils were paying N62,500 (members of staff); and N96,300 (non-staff); while Year 1-4 pupils were to pay N63,250 (members of staff) and N108,100 (non-staff).

The school’s Parents Forum rejected the directive in a letter dated May 22, 2020, complaining that the school’s e-learning services were below satisfactory.

They said: “a. The online school currently running must be taken as a temporary arrangement only, offered by the school to keep their pupils busy during this period. More like a summer school.

“b. The online platform as it is is not appreciated by most parents and let it be noteworthy that some parents do not wish to continue with the arrangement. The online schooling should therefore be optional to be subscribed to by interested parties at a flat fee of 10 per cent of the tuition fee stated in the bill sent to us or scrapped if not agreeable to ULWS. Further to (a) and (b) above, and the epileptic service on the portal, if the school does decide to continue the temporary online school, parents demand that a better platform be provided as the current one is unacceptable to be charged at a fee. We also demand that the online schooling be made for participation by pupil at levels Pry 1-6 only. Pupils at levels Crèche to Kindergarten should be exempted.”

The board has suspended the online classes and noted it would not hold until June 8, 2020 to address the issues raised by parents.

When The Nation reached out to Dr Odunlade, she noted that the e-learning platform was up and running again and would be free to all pupils this week.

“The platform started running yesterday and we said it is free for all pupils this week. If you like it, you will pay from next week,” she said.

(Thenation)