Some parents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have called for government intervention, including subsidies for learning materials and measures to regulate private school fees, as rising tuition and other education-related costs put increasing pressure on household incomes.

The parents said the cost of educating their children had become increasingly difficult to bear amid rising expenses on tuition, textbooks, uniforms, transportation and other charges required by schools.

They made the call in separate interviews in Abuja as schools reopened for the 2026/2027 academic session.

For many families, parents said, the new academic session had brought fresh financial pressure, forcing them to make difficult choices between their children’s education and other essential household needs.

A parent, Abdullahi Sanni, said the rising cost of educational materials had made preparations for the new session particularly difficult, urging the government to provide essential learning materials to cushion the burden on families.

“Some parents cannot afford it. Things are very high, especially essential materials. We need government’s intervention,” he said.

Sanni said parents were already contending with the cost of food, rent and other basic necessities, making the additional expenses associated with sending several children to school overwhelming.

“It is not easy. We all know the economic situation of the country at the moment and how people are struggling; even people that are not parents yet, not to talk of parents with children, not one or two, but three, four, five kids in school,” he said.

Mrs Amaka Ogbu, who has two children in a private school in Lugbe, said the increase in tuition and additional charges had created financial difficulties for her family.

“My children’s school fees have increased, and we are also expected to pay separately for books, uniforms and other things.

“As a parent, I understand that prices of goods and services have increased, but the school should also consider the financial situation of families.

“It is becoming difficult to meet all these demands at once, especially when parents have other responsibilities,” she said.

Ogbu urged private school owners to review their charges and ensure that fees for tuition, textbooks, uniforms, transportation and other services were reasonable and clearly communicated to parents.

Similarly, Mr Akolade Abodunrin, whose daughter attends a private school in Kubwa, said the increase in fees had disrupted his financial plans for the new academic session.

 “Last session, I paid N68,000, but this session the fees have gone up to N118,000.

“Apart from tuition, we are paying for textbooks, uniforms and other charges. Some of these payments were not clearly explained to us.

“I am appealing to school owners to make their fees affordable and give parents enough time to plan and pay,” he said.

Mr Kenneth Nwachi on his part described the situation as “extortion”, alleging that his children’s school increased its fees by 50 per cent without consulting the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA).

Nwachi also called for greater involvement of PTAs in decisions on school fees, arguing that parents who bear the financial burden should be consulted before major increases are introduced.

Another parent, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said frequent fee increases were becoming difficult to absorb, particularly when parents received little or no advance notice.

She said parents were often confronted with new fee schedules only after schools resumed, leaving them with limited options because moving their children to another school could disrupt their education.

She said the rising cost of quality education was forcing families to make significant adjustments to household spending to keep their children in schools they considered standard.

Beyond calls for regulation of private schools, some parents said government investment in public schools could provide families with a more affordable alternative.

Yusuf Popoola said while public schools remained an option, many parents who could afford private education preferred it because of perceived differences in the quality of education.

“If it’s quality education, yes, you can have some private schools that offer that. So, if it’s my choice, I will put my child in a private school instead of a government school,” he said.

Popoola, however, called for government regulation of private school fees to prevent arbitrary increases, particularly sudden increases of up to 100 per cent or more.

Mr Uchechukwu Igboneme also urged the government to improve public schools to a standard that would give parents greater confidence in enrolling their children there.

“If the government can as well make the public schools here in Nigeria to be of the same standard as private schools, that will go a long way and again make the fees affordable,” he said.

Igboneme also suggested that schools should allow textbooks to be reused by siblings rather than requiring parents to purchase new copies for every child.

“When we went to school, my younger ones could use the same textbook I used. Nowadays, the schools make you buy for each of the children,” he said.

Parents said tuition was only one component of the increasing cost of education, with transportation and other school-related expenses adding significantly to the financial burden.

Oluwashina Adetayo said rising transportation costs had compounded the difficulties faced by families.

“At N1,400 per litre, you can’t even transport your children to school, go to the market to buy something to feed them. It is very high,” he said.

Meanwhile, some private school operators have attributed rising fees to increasing operational costs, including teachers’ salaries, rent, electricity, security, maintenance and learning materials.

The proprietor of Bright Future Academy, Abuja, Mrs Comfort Adeyele, said fee adjustments had become necessary to keep private schools running.

“The cost of paying teachers has increased significantly. We cannot expect teachers to provide quality education when their salaries are not enough to meet their needs.

“We also have to pay for electricity, diesel, rent, security, maintenance and teaching materials.

“Although we understand the concerns of parents, private schools must also meet these obligations to remain operational,” she said.

Adeyele said her school had tried to keep the increase moderate and was exploring ways to reduce unnecessary expenses and introduce flexible payment arrangements for families.

Education administrator Sulaiman Ayegboka also called for government support for private schools, arguing that the sector should be treated as a partner in providing education.

He advocated low-interest loans for private school operators to enable them to manage rising operational costs without continually transferring the burden to parents through increased fees.

Ayegboka also called for subsidised professional development programmes for teachers in private schools, saying government support should extend beyond public institutions because many Nigerian children attend private schools.

“Private schools run schools as businesses, but education in itself is a social responsibility,” he said.

He argued that supporting private schools would help strengthen the education system and reduce some of the financial pressure ultimately borne by parents.