How school fees affect the home

As schools resume for another term after the spending that went into the holiday and end of year festivities, many parents and guardians are feeling the pinch as payment of children’s school fees takes a toll on the home front. Many parents could not celebrate the Christmas and New Year as comfortably as they used […]

As schools resume for another term after the spending that went into the holiday and end of year festivities, many parents and guardians are feeling the pinch as payment of children’s school fees takes a toll on the home front.

Many parents could not celebrate the Christmas and New Year as comfortably as they used to as a result of the payment of school fees by early January and the prevailing economic situation.

Some parents who spoke to Daily Trust said the development is taking its toll on the home front as it denied many of them the usual merriment, adding that they have to cut down on household items as utility.

A parent, Mr Osakwe Denis, said he could not provide for his family the way he used to due to school fees payment by January.

Denis who has two children in Federal Government Girls College, Edo State, said “my two children are resuming by middle of the month and I need over N100,000 for school fees and provisions for them.

“Even when my wife asked for money for the New Year, I could not give much. We have to manage till January ends because of school fees. We could not buy much items because we can’t choose merriment at the expense of our children’s future.”

Denis said he told his wife that they had to make sacrifices so that their children can go back to school, adding that the children will not be happy if they are at home while other children are back to school.

Another parent, Mrs Janet Anthony, said they had to give priority to payment of school fees of the children.

“This month, we have three children we are going to pay their school fees. We have to leave out many things in our home list and even the Christmas and New Year, we had to forgo many items,” she said.

Mrs Anthony said no child will listen to his or her parent when school resumed and he or she is at home on account of spending during the festive period.

“We will starve ourselves this month till when we receive salary. It is better to starve so that children can go to school. Whatever we have we manage pending when we receive salary, but for money for school runs, that cannot wait.”

On her part, a housewife who gave her name as Mrs Osayan said children’s school fee made her and her husband to limit and minimise spending in running the home.

“As parents, you cannot give children excuses that there is no money to pay their school fees. So, instead, you have to adjust to enable you provide for them.”

She added that “every home is making preparations for their children’s resumption in school and you don’t expect any loan from anybody hence, you cut down expenses like buying new clothes like Aso-ebi, shoes, among others.”

She said they have to cut down unnecessary expenses and even starve a little till salaries are paid by end of January.

For Mrs Juliet Osaro, school fees have really affected their finances as they have to cut down many things to be able to pay.

“It is necessary to pay children’s school fees. There is no need to gamble with their future. Clothes, food, merriment and other things can wait but school fees cannot wait.”

She said, “even during the New Year festivities, we had to skip many things we used to do; you cannot have over N200,000 fees hanging on your neck and pursue enjoyment at the same time. “After the school fees, the children still need provisions for those in boarding,” she added.