Parents threaten protest over PTA fee hike at Federal Science and Technical College

Concerned parents of students at the Federal Science and Technical College, Yaba, Lagos, have threatened to protest if the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) fee is not reduced back to N7,500 within 72 hours.

The PTA fee, which was originally set at N7,500, was recently raised to N11,500 without prior approval, prompting strong reactions from parents.

On Monday, the parents voiced their concerns in a formal letter, signed by several individuals including Dr. Femi Adeboye, Rev. Dr. Emorinken Victor, Chief Alloy Nwogbo, Mazi Okey Obi, and Mrs. Adejoke Adepoju.

The parents pointed out that the official PTA fee for all Federal Government colleges in Nigeria, as set by the Ministry of Education, is N5,000.

The fee had previously been increased to N7,500 by the former PTA executive during the 2023/2024 session.

It read, “We call for immediate reversal of the fee increase. The PTA fees should be reduced back to N7,500 within 72 hours. Failure to do so will result in a peaceful protest, which has already been reported to the Divisional Police Officer at Sabo Police Station.”

“The new hike, which came without prior consultation or approval from the general parent body, is now seen as a deliberate attempt to exploit parents, especially given that the increase is being justified as necessary to fund the salaries of 107 purported PTA teachers, a number that many parents believe is inflated.

“Parents were also alarmed to find that, despite earlier discussions about involving volunteers in deliberating the salary increase, only six parents attended the expanded PTA meeting, and the outcome was a pre-determined proposal to hike the fees. No feedback or input was solicited from the wider parent community before the increase was enforced.”

In response to the increase, the parents have made the following demands,  “Parents demand a detailed list of all the teachers under the PTA’s payroll, including their names, subjects, classes, and contact details. This is in response to growing concerns about teacher absenteeism and the lack of transparency surrounding the PTA’s financial matters.”

The letter also called for improved financial governance, saying all financial matters, including fee increases, should be subject to a vote by the parent body.

It added that any proposed increase must be approved by at least three-quarters of the parents.

“A parent-led monitoring team should be established to ensure that the PTA teachers are fulfilling their responsibilities and contributing to improving students’ academic performance.

“At the beginning of each year, the PTA executive must present a budget to the parents for approval, ensuring that spending is transparent and justified.

“The PTA must provide quarterly financial reports and conduct audits to ensure funds are being used appropriately.

“Any projects or initiatives by the PTA should be subject to parent approval before implementation.”

It concluded that the concerned parents had made it clear that they were law-abiding citizens but were firm in their demand for an immediate reversal of the fee increase.

The parents maintained that if their concerns were not addressed within the stipulated time, they would be forced to protest and may withhold their financial contributions to the PTA.