UMAR YUNUSA, Minna
Students of Federal College of Education, Kontagora, Niger State, have decried an upward review of tuition fees by the college management.
The school management last Tuesday released a circular directing students to visit the school portal to commence their registration for the 2021/2022 academic session.
According to the circular obtained on Thursday by our correspondent, NCE One students of Vocational, Science and Computer students are to pay N40,500 while other will pay N33,500.
While NCE Two and Three Vocational, Science Computer students are to pay N36,500 others will pay N29,500.
Students lament
A Computer/Chemistry student, Abubakar Estu Shehu, said the only effort made by the union was the N1,100 deduction after several meeting with the school management.
He commended the efforts of the union despite the economic challenges, saying the reduction gave students some relief.
But Abdullahi Mohammed, a level one student of Economics, condemned the hike, saying the recent increase in tuition fee “is dangerous to our educational system.
“Although there was reduction after several meetings with union leaders, I’m not satisfied with this hike, especially as the economy is frustrating the nation.”
He implored the SUG president to plead with the school management again in order to make the school fee more affordable.
A student who preferred not to be named said in the past years the number of students in FCE had been declining.
He further stated that students are dropping out due to hike in tuition fees, lamenting that the registration fee had increased from N26,000 to N40,500.
“I will not put much blame on SUG as they tried what they could, pleading with management to lower the fees for Science and others,” he said.
He added,”It will affect many students,” saying aside from registration fee, “students pay various union fees, accommodation and handout which are huge money.”
On his part, President of SUG, Adamu Salihu, said the union had made enough efforts to see what the management could do.
He further told Firstnews that after several meetings with the school management, there was reduction of the hiked fees.
“The union has no other plan to meet with management council over the hike fee,” adding that it is not everybody that will be satisfied with the reduction but they noticed our efforts.”
The College Registrar, Yusuf Ahmed Doma, when first contacted, denied that the college had increased the registration fees.
“It is not true that we have increased school fees”, adding that authorities had not increased any fee but urged our reporter “to get the signed circular.”
When contacted the second time about our findings, he warned our reporter never to call him on the phone again over the development in the school.
“Is there any institution that does not increase school fees?” the registrar angrily asked out reporter.