The situation in Nigeria may not be entirely dire at the moment, but parents need to adapt to make ends meet with the support of families and friends.
The pressure of school fees is overwhelming many parents in Nigeria, and often, these fees are unaffordable. When I brought my kids back from South Africa, I enrolled them in an expensive private school in Abuja. However, the stress of paying the school fees was immense, and I struggled to keep up with the payments. The pride of saying “my kids attend BRITISH ROYAL OAK SCHOOL” drove me to work tirelessly, but it took a toll on my health.
Eventually, I decided to pull them out after conducting thorough research on public schools in Lagos and Abuja. I enrolled them in a public school in Abuja and hired private tutors to teach them at home. This decision significantly reduced my stress because I believe brilliance is innate and not solely taught in school.
I even opened bank accounts for my kids, redirecting part of the money I was previously paying to the private school into these accounts. They successfully passed their GCE exams and scored good grades in JAMB while in SS classes. Today, they are excelling academically.
My advice to parents is to reduce the burden and pressure of private school fees. Let’s be alive for our kids. Public schools in some parts of the country have produced some of Nigeria’s best minds, such as His Excellency GCFR, President Bola Hammed Tinubu, and His Excellency Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to mention a few.
I know many people who are nearly falling into depression because of the exorbitant fees in private schools. Forget about pride and stay alive for your kids. Pull them out of schools that induce high blood pressure and enroll them in public schools. Hire private tutors to teach them at home. There is no shame in this.
This is my life-saving advice. Na me Irumole talk am.
