Child beggars: Six siblings, others drop out of school over unpaid fees

SUBAIR MOHAMMED and TUBOSUN OGUNDARE write on the problem of out-of-school children who are multiplying on the streets of Lagos.

Residents and stakeholders in the education and security sectors in Lagos State have expressed concern over the noticeable increase in the number of out-of-school children and child beggars in the state.

Saturday Tribune monitored some parts of the state where it was discovered that child beggars and out-of-school children between the ages of eight and 15 are visible sights in areas like Iyana-Ipaja, Ikotun, Iyana-Ejigbo, Agege, Oshodi and Ebute-Meta.

During school hours, sometimes in school uniforms, these children hang around eateries, shopping malls and banks to beg for alms or food.

A 2022 statistic by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) revealed that there were two million out-of-school children in Lagos State. The number placed Lagos ahead of countries like Egypt with 90, 674 out-of-school children as of 2019 and South Africa with 925, 014 as of 2020.

14-year-old Deborah Irimiyah, an SS 1 student of Community Senior Grammar School, Surulere, is one of the affected children. Despite her brilliance, and confidence, Deborah, an indigene of Nasarawa State, roams the street, unable to join her mates in school, due to the inability of her parents to pay what the school reportedly called “registration fee.”

She told Saturday Tribune that six out of her eight siblings are out of school due to the inability of her mother to sponsor their education. According to her, two of the eight children of her parents have completed their secondary school while the other six, including herself, are out of school.

She explained that her mother could not afford to pay the initial N5,000 debt she owed the school since her JSS 3 days, as well as the SS1 registration fee of N6,500.

When asked about her father, she said “he is nowhere to be found. He is never around to take care of our needs.”

She explained: “I am currently not in school because my mother cannot afford to pay my school fees. I was told by the school management to pay N11, 500 before I could be registered into SS 1.

“I did my junior WAEC in June/July 2023 which I passed with flying colours. I was admitted into SS 1 to continue my studies at a senior secondary school in Surulere, but due to the inability of my mother to pay my school fees, I couldn’t process my admission. I have been out of school since then.

“When I was in JSS 3, I owed the school N5000 being part of my school fee and for my SS 1 registration, I was expected to pay N6,500 as registration fee. This brings the total amount I am owing to N11, 500.

“During school hours, I walk around the community because I have nothing to do. I am not learning any trade because to do that also requires money which my mother cannot afford. I have missed a lot of classes, so to make up for the missed classes, at the close of school every day, I visit some of my classmates to collect their notes and copy. This is what I read while I hope that someday my mother will be able to pay my school fees and I will join my mates in school.

“My mother is a cleaner at a private residence. She is paid N20,000 monthly. This is what she uses to fend for me and my seven siblings. Two of my brothers have passed out of secondary school while the remaining six of us are out of school.

“I wish Governor Sanwo-Olu will pay my school fees so that I can return to school to complete my secondary education.”

 

We charge registration fee –Principal

When contacted, the principal of Deborah’s school (name witheld) confirmed her studentship while disclosing that the only fee payable by SS1 intakes is registration fee.

In addition to the registration fee, the principal said registrants are expected to present LASSRA, birth certificate, tax clearance and JSS 3 testimonial.

He said: “I can confirm to you that Deborah Irimiyah is one of our students. Her name was among the list of names sent to us.

However, I am not aware that she has not been registered because the only amount students are expected to pay is N5,100 which covers registration fee and school beret for girls. Aside from this, students are expected to come along with birth certificates, LASSRA, tax clearance and JSS 3 testimonial which stands as evidence of completion of JSS 3.”

The case of a 10-year old Olalekan is a bit different from Deborah’s. Olalekan lives with his parents in Ebute-Meta but both of them are early risers who leave their only child in the care of no one in particular.

Olalekan navigates the entire stretch of Ebute-Meta community during and after school hours begging for food and alms.

On why he was not in school, he said to Saturday Tribune: “I attend a private school at Park Road but I didn’t go today and that is why I am here. My father is a member of the NURTW and my mother sells bread. Both of them leave home early in the morning, leaving me to cater to myself.

“My mother wakes up very early to go to the bakery and my father leaves home for his NURTW work. So, when I am hungry, I walk around to beg for money to buy food and return home at night.”

 

Ex-PTA chair knocks govt

To aid academic excellence in primary and secondary schools in the state, the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has reportedly constructed 1,047 new classrooms and rehabilitated over 197 schools.

But this, according to a former chairman of the Parents’ Forum in a public school in Okota, Ebongabasi Ekpe-Juda, does not translate to educating the child.

He said going to school is not just about providing notebooks and fine buildings, querying if parents are able to feed and clothe their children to school.

He blamed the state government for the increasing number of out-of-school children in the state, saying it is paying lip service to free education.

Speaking further, he said: “The matter has dire implications for the state. Many children belong to criminal gangs where they operate as informants. It is a terrible thing for a state like Lagos to have a huge number of out-of-school children.

“I can only blame bad government for the increasing number of child beggars and out-of-school children. The current government in the state, with what I am seeing, cannot address the situation. They are only paying lip service to education and the welfare of the people. The country is in need of a revolution because the present system is corrupt and does not consider the interest of Nigerians. That is the predicament we are in, in the country.

“Going to school is not just about providing notebooks and fine buildings. Are the parents able to feed and clothe their children to schools? There are other things that are required to educate a child. I was chairman of the Parents’ Forum at a public school in Okota when my son was going to the school.

“A school with hundreds of students gets a monthly subvention of N1,200 from the state government. And they told school principals not to collect a dime from parents. This was in 2011. During this period, we have difficulty buying chalks. The Lagos state government cannot fund education not to talk of adequately funding it. The Parents’ Forum gets asked by teachers for money to buy chalk and other needs. The forum provides most of the needs of the school. The government is only paying teachers’ salaries.

“The schools are not well-equipped. I hear in some schools, students sit on the floor to learn. So, how do you enrol your child in a public school to learn, only for him to sit on the floor to learn on an empty stomach? There is hardship in the country and parents think more of ways to feed their children.

“The government is weaponising poverty. Parents cannot afford to enroll their children in public schools not to talk of buying books and uniform for them. Do you know how much it costs to buy textbooks and notebooks for a schoolkid? Don’t even talk of school uniforms and various fees? They are not doing anything. Parents pay for most of what the children use in public schools. The schoolchildren are not provided for by the state government. They vote money for education, but go to public schools and check their subvention.

“Parents who don’t have the financial strength to sponsor the education of their children make them sell pure water at bus stops during school hours. So, who do we blame for this? Is it government that has weaponised poverty or the parent whose only hope of surviving depends on how much that little child makes from street hawking or begging? We are in a terrible situation in this country.”

 

Blame parents –Parents’ Forum boss

In his reaction, the Chairman, Parents’ Forum, Lagos State, Deacon Olusoji Adams, refuted the claim by some out-of-school children that they dropped out of school because of their inability to pay fees.

According to him, primary and secondary education is free in Lagos State. He added that the government is also strict about the implementation of the no-fee policy.

He, however, noted that voluntary contribution among parents can happen as an intervention, to take care of things like toilet facilities or water supply and such decisions, according to him, are always taken at the Forum’s meetings.

He said: “Even on such occasions, less than 30 percent of parents usually respond and nobody will take offence, regarding the remaining 70 percent. So, it is not in order for public school students in Lagos to claim that they are dropped out because of school fees.

“The only thing that government is now requesting from students, particularly in this academic session, is their parents’ tax clearance. Once you can produce that, no head teacher or principal can ask you for any other thing again.

“Before, it was usually during transiting classes like JSS 1 or SS1 but from this academic session, it appears government wants to generalise it, for all students.

“But if you cannot produce your parent’s evidence of tax payment to government, you will be asked to pay N8,100 in lieu of that to government, through tax revenue agency of government. And even at that, any parent that does not have the capacity to pay once, can pay in installment, and that will not stop their children from attending classes with those who have paid.”

The Parents’ Forum boss explained that his personal findings showed that some students would wear uniform from home, but won’t get to school, resorting to roaming the street and “cooking up all kinds of lie.”

He said: “And to worsen the problem, their parents won’t come to Parents’ Forum meeting whenever one is called and they would not also come to school on Open Day. Yet, they will be telling all manner of stories and making all kinds of excuses as to why they failed in their responsibilities to their children’s education.

“I can boldly say that both public primary and secondary school education in Lagos is completely free as far as the state government is concerned” he submitted emphatically.

Public schools are tuition-free but… –Lagos govt

Jamiu Alli-Balogun, the state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, also tried to bring clearer perspective to fees in government-owned schools.

He said: “The misconception of parents and guardians on the payment of N8,100 tax levy as school fees for pupils and students in the ongoing resumption of a new academic calendar year 2023/2024 has generated the usual criticism of Lagos State Education Governance.

He said: “The realisation that taxation is one of the core internally generated revenue for the Government in order to meet its commitment with public demands, is key to developmental strives, in the provisions of basic necessities to the citizens.

“Lagos State government’s free education policy is still in operation from kindergarten to SS 3. The tax payment is the duty of parents to pay. The LIRS staff are attached to schools for easier payment of tax by parents.

“Parents that have paid their tax need not to pay another but provide their tax certificate for authentication and verification. This can be done instantly by staff of LIRS for necessary documentation as to avoid double taxation.

“Receipt for tax payments are to be issued instantly to avoid collection of tax payments bundle from parents with the use of one surname for many pupils or students. This is unacceptable unless the pupils and students are from the same parents.

“The tax payments are an on-going exercise and not a hindrance to deny pupils and students from registration enrollment into schools.”

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