• Urge govt to abolish PAYE, reduce income tax to 23 per cent
As economic hardship bites harder, schools have devised coping strategies to survive at this time.
Many ongoing capital projects have been suspended, purchase of new buses halted, and weekend classes stopped.
Speaking with The Guardian on steps taken by school owners to handle the new realities, National President, Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Chief Yomi Otubela, said the association has told members to charge fees that are not only affordable, based on the values offered, but sustainable enough to ensure profitability to meet both direct and associated costs.
They, however, implored the government to review the various levies being paid by members to reflect signs of the present times.
He noted that some schools have reviewed the take-home pay of their school workers while others have gone further to provide accommodation for their staff to cushion the effect of fuel price hike.
Director of Studies, Starfield School, Agege, Lagos, Chris Eigbe, said the school is already consulting with stakeholders, including parents, on the way forward.
Eigbe urged the government to abolish PAYE for income less than N6m per annum, while Income Tax can be reduced from 32 to 23 per cent, inclusive of education tax.
He said the government should take payment of bursary seriously to reduce the burden on parents and guardians.
The Administrative Manager and Public Relations Officer, Jextoban Secondary School, Lagos and Ogun States, Dr. Solesi Abayomi, said the buses have been put in good shape, as the school cannot easily replace them.
Abayomi advised the government to review their levies and annual dues, to reduce pressure on private school operators.
“In fact, tax exemptions or reductions should be put in place forthwith. Bail out option should also be considered for other education sub-sectors involved in the production of textbooks, stationeries and related products in order to relieve parents of the financial burden,” he said.
Operation Executive, Oyindamola Nursery and Primary School, Lagos, Joseph Maria Emmanuel, said they are making moves to get a school bus to help parents reduce transportation costs.
In the face of economic hardship in the country, parents have started withdrawing their wards to schools closer to them to reduce the cost of transportation.
He added that those who would normally buy four shirts for their wards bought only two this session due to cost.He said though essential capital projects are still ongoing in the school; those that are not of immediate concern have been suspended.
Abayomi, on his part, said the school has introduced flexible payment options for parents to ease their burden.Emmanuel said since the school resumed; only few parents have paid part of their children’s school fees, while others asked for more time.