High tuition in Universities may lead to student’s drop out-ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU says if the Federal Government does not halt the ongoing fee increases in institutions, 40 to 50 percent of students could drop out of school in the next two years.

President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, made the remark during a discussion on Nigerian education sector.

He predicted that a large number of students will drop out of school due to their inability to afford the high tuition costs being levied on them around the country.

According to Prof Osodeke, “If nothing is done about these heavy fees being introduced by schools all over the country, in the next two or three years, more than 40 to 50 per cent of these children who are in school today will drop out.”

Prof Osodeke further stated that, dropping out of school will result in idleness, which could make them easily become a nuisance in the society.

“When they drop out, they will become a big feed for recruitment for those who want this country to be ungovernable. This is what we are saying, create the environment we have in the 60s and 70s. When I was a student, the government was paying me for being a student. Let’s have an environment where the children of the poor can have access to education. School fees of N300,000, how can the children of someone who earns N50,000 a month be able to pay such a fee?”

However, he suggested to the government to increase budgetary allocation to education to at least 15% of the total budget sum.