Some
members of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday opposed the
plans of the state government to increase the tuition fee of the Lagos
State University students.
The Speaker of the assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, on Tuesday, summoned the state Commissioner for Education, Mr. Olayinka Oladunjoye; Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Education, Mr. Fatayi Olukoga; LASU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oladapo Obafunwa, and the president of the institution’s students’ union, Mr. Durojaiye Akeem, over the recent protest by students against the proposed hike in tuition fees.
Ikuforiji said the hike in fee was too sudden, and at an average Lagosian could not afford to pay it.
He added that although the state wanted a standard and effective learning environment for the students, it must be affordable and convenient for the people.
He said, "The government has to be lenient as far as this issue is concerned, or else our standard of education will fall."
According to him, the state government has to fund education and subsidise when necessary, but the people must know that nothing comes free.
He added that although they advised the governor, to set up a visitation panel to look into the problem of the institution, the recommendation of the panel was not brought before the assembly before it was implemented.
He said, "The standard of education has really dropped and every right thinking member of the state knows that only the quantity of education has increased, the quality is reducing."
He said if care was not taken, only the rich would be able to study, while the masses would have no place in the society.
The deputy speaker of the assembly, Mr. Kolawole Taiwo, faulted the action of the state government for breaching sections one, two and three of the "Lagos State Revolution Approval Law 2001," which stipulate that the executive cannot effect any directive unless it is approved by the state house of assembly.
Taiwo said, "The state shouldn’t have created a university when it cannot cater for it. We have an organised system, if we then say free education is optional in tertiary institutions, then LASU shouldn’t be created."
He added that the state could not afford to implement the 26 per cent budget policy by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation to the education sector.
The lawmakers urged LASU authorities to find means to generate fund instead of relying on the state government alone.
They noted that the institution was over- populated, which made it difficult to cater for the numerous students, stating that parents who sent their children to LASU were the 18, 000 minimum wage-earning civil servants and might not be able to afford such exorbitant amount.
The Commissioner for Education, Mr. Olayinka Oladunjoye, said the government’s plan to increase the tuition fee was to provide an efficient infrastructure demanded by the students.
According to him, other universities in the country pay more than the proposed N193,750 to N348,750 demanded from the students.
Ikuforiji later resolved the issue by forming a five-man committee to consult and proffer solution that will be acceptable to the government and students, to be submitted on November 10, 2001.
Written by Sodiq Oyeleke Courtesy Of: Punch
The Speaker of the assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, on Tuesday, summoned the state Commissioner for Education, Mr. Olayinka Oladunjoye; Special Adviser to Governor Babatunde Fashola on Education, Mr. Fatayi Olukoga; LASU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oladapo Obafunwa, and the president of the institution’s students’ union, Mr. Durojaiye Akeem, over the recent protest by students against the proposed hike in tuition fees.
Ikuforiji said the hike in fee was too sudden, and at an average Lagosian could not afford to pay it.
He added that although the state wanted a standard and effective learning environment for the students, it must be affordable and convenient for the people.
He said, "The government has to be lenient as far as this issue is concerned, or else our standard of education will fall."
According to him, the state government has to fund education and subsidise when necessary, but the people must know that nothing comes free.
He added that although they advised the governor, to set up a visitation panel to look into the problem of the institution, the recommendation of the panel was not brought before the assembly before it was implemented.
He said, "The standard of education has really dropped and every right thinking member of the state knows that only the quantity of education has increased, the quality is reducing."
He said if care was not taken, only the rich would be able to study, while the masses would have no place in the society.
The deputy speaker of the assembly, Mr. Kolawole Taiwo, faulted the action of the state government for breaching sections one, two and three of the "Lagos State Revolution Approval Law 2001," which stipulate that the executive cannot effect any directive unless it is approved by the state house of assembly.
Taiwo said, "The state shouldn’t have created a university when it cannot cater for it. We have an organised system, if we then say free education is optional in tertiary institutions, then LASU shouldn’t be created."
He added that the state could not afford to implement the 26 per cent budget policy by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation to the education sector.
The lawmakers urged LASU authorities to find means to generate fund instead of relying on the state government alone.
They noted that the institution was over- populated, which made it difficult to cater for the numerous students, stating that parents who sent their children to LASU were the 18, 000 minimum wage-earning civil servants and might not be able to afford such exorbitant amount.
The Commissioner for Education, Mr. Olayinka Oladunjoye, said the government’s plan to increase the tuition fee was to provide an efficient infrastructure demanded by the students.
According to him, other universities in the country pay more than the proposed N193,750 to N348,750 demanded from the students.
Ikuforiji later resolved the issue by forming a five-man committee to consult and proffer solution that will be acceptable to the government and students, to be submitted on November 10, 2001.
Written by Sodiq Oyeleke Courtesy Of: Punch
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