FOR THE PUBLIC

REPORT AND KEY RESOLUTIONS OF A MEETING BETWEEN THE,EDUCATION RIGHTS CAMPAIGN (ERC)AND PARENTS OF LAGOS STATE MODEL COLLEGES OVER PLANS BY LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT TO HIKE BOARDING SCHOOL FEEDING FEES
DATE: Saturday 31st July 2021.
VENUE: ERC office, 49 charity road, beside social club, Abule Egba
TIME: 12noon
ATTENDANCE: 23 parents and participants from about 8 Lagos State Model Colleges (LSMC). Also in attendance was Surveyor Dapo Dawodu, the Chairman of the Coalition of all chairmen and Secretaries of Parents Forum of Lagos State Model Colleges.
MEETING:
The meeting did not commence until 1pm because of the need to wait for those on their way. When the meeting commenced officially, a warm welcome was given to Surveyor Dawodu for attending the meeting despite the short notice. He was subsequently invited to the high table.
The meeting was guided by the following agenda: (1) Solidarity songs (2) Introduction of participants (3) Introduction of the ERC (4) Report by Surveyor Dawodu, Chairman of Collation of PF (5)Questions and contributions (6) Resolution (7) Fighting fund ( AOB (9) Solidarity songs.
After about 6 hours of serious deliberation and without being able to exhaust the entire agenda, the meeting arrived at the following key resolutions:
(1) The meeting rejected the proposed N75, 000 increment of boarding school feeding fee per term for LSMCs and demanded a democratic audit of how the payment of N25, 000 boarding school feeding fee which has been operative since 2006 has been managed by the principals.
(2) After several hours of serious debate on whether or not to abide by the proposal of the Coalition of all chairmen and Secretaries of PF of LSMCs as contained in a letter dated 26 July 2021 and submitted to the Lagos State governor for a maximum of N30, 000 boarding school feeding fee per term, a majority of parents present at the meeting agreed to abide with the 30k on a condition that, it covers auxiliary and contingency needs such as medicals, security, and other hostel requirements which worth up to 10k - 15k usually being bought by individual parents every term for their children. Also, with 30k, the students must be well fed such that parents will be not be required to spend more on provision of monthly stipends for their children.
(3) Another condition for the acceptance of the N30, 000 boarding school fee is the inclusion of representatives of the Parent Forum in each schools in the boarding school management committee in order to be able to oversee how the monies are being spent.
(4) The meeting emphasized the need for unity and joint work and collaboration between the ERC and the coalition of Chairmen and Secretaries of PF of LSMC.
(5) The meeting agreed to wait for the response of the Lagos State government to the letter of the Coalition of all Chairmen and Secretaries of PF of LSMC before taking further actions.
(6) The meeting agreed to collate facts and figures and comparative analysis of the situation in each schools particularly how the boarding school fee is being managed as part of the process of building arguments to back the struggle and resistance. This proposal became necessary especially due to a report from the Lagos State Model College Owutu, Ikorodu which shows that despite charging the same N25, 000 boarding school feeding fee which government says is not enough to feed a student per term, the students in this school are better fed so much that a parent at the meeting reported that her child asked not to be given any extra allowance again. The meeting decided to seek further corroboration of this report in order to guide the struggle.
(7) The Chairman of the Coalition of all Chairmen and Secretaries of Parents Forum of Lagos State Model Colleges, Surveyor Dapo Dawodu, appreciated the ERC and pledged to keep them very close in this struggle.
Comrade Omomewa
Coordinator
ERC LAGOS STATE