The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called for reduction in school fees across tertiary institutions in the country, to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal on students and their parents.
The student body equally warned that as laudable as the Students Loan Scheme being introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, it should not be a springboard for hike of tuition fees in tertiary institutions.
The NANS Coordinator, North Central Zone, Shedrack Anzaku, said this in Abuja on Thursday while speaking with journalist at the official declaration of Deniran Rioborue to run for the NANS Presidency during December convention of the association.
He said the student body frowns at the development where a lot of public tuitions decided to increase schools without considering the hardships and difficulties Nigerians are going through.
Anzaku said: “What the Association expects is school fees reduction and not increment because the rate of dropout is increasing.
”We frown against all forms of school fees increment because at a time like this when there is numerous hardship across the country.
”We find it hard to understand the increment because in spite of the removal of subsidy, diesel is what schools use mostly and the price of diesel has reduced so we expect reduction in all ramification,” he said.
Anzaku recalled that when he was speaking with the President, Students Union Government, Bida Polytechnic last week, students in that school had not resumed due to hike in school fees.
He added that in spite of the fact that the rector reduced the school fees by N10,000, students were yet to resume.
He said that led leadership of the student body to write to the National Universities Commission (NUC), to prevail on tertiary institutions to reduce school fees.
He, however, commended the Federal government for introducing the student loan scheme to ease education burden on students, especially the indigent students.
“We also kick against hike in school fees on account of the students loan Act because the Act is meant to assist students to get proper education.
”We have written to NUC to call on schools to reduce school fees else we will protest in our large numbers.
“We are going on campus tour to talk to Vice Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts to reduce school fees,” he added.