Charterhouse: Lagos primary school defends N42m annual school fee
By Ishaya Ibrahim
A Lagos school, Charterhouse, has explained why its annual school fees is N42m per pupil after netizens raised eyebrows over the exorbitant charges.
Nigerians had angrily reacted to the disclosure that a school charges N42m annually as school fees for each primary school pupil and another N2 million as a non-refundable registration fee.
In dollar terms, the N42m million that the Charterhouse primary school takes from rich Nigerian parents is $38,200 (using N1,100 exchange rate).
The amount is the equivalent of what top UK and US universities charge annually for their undergraduate programmes.
Justifying the fee, the director of Communications, Admissions and Marketing of the school, Damilola Olatunbosun told the Nigerian Tribune that Charterhouse is a value-driven world-class educational institution.
Olatunbosun said, “Charterhouse is not just like every other school anywhere globally but a prestigious and value-driven world-class educational institution that parents who love quality and second to none education will always want their children to be.”
Despite the criticism, he stated that many parents have expressed interest in enrolling their children, adding that they are not surprised about our fees as it is within what they can afford.
“Some parents are here in Nigeria and some are based abroad. And they know the quality of education we will give to their children. It is about value and not whether the fees are high or not.
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“They know it will cost them more if they are to send their children abroad and get the same quality and value we will give them here in Nigeria. The foreign exchange and the associated costs as well as nearness. ”
He added that there is no educational institution in the country with the facilities of Charterhouse, adding that the school would be of the same value as other high-profile UK-based schools.
“Even though we are yet to commence academic activities and we have not also done with our construction works, no school in Nigeria has the facilities we have already put in place.
“And it is not all about physical structures in Charterhouse, but also about quality, both academic and extra-curriculum, and value for our learners.
“Schooling in Charterhouse Lagos will be the same as in Charterhouse UK or any other high-profile UK-based school. The only difference is that the Chaterhouse here will be immersed in the Nigerian culture thereby giving our students the best of British education in a multicultural environment.
“So, we are not just any other school, and many prominent Nigerians, who are either products of Charterhouse or have any of their children or relations attended the school in the UK are very glad that Charterhouse is now here in Lagos Nigeria.
“Even here in Lagos, there are some schools, for example, that charge in millions of Naira per annum while some in hundreds of thousands and yet some others charge something lesser. So, it is now left for parents to decide which one to enrol their children based on the value they want and their purse.
“We are building on 70 hectares of land in Lekki and it will cost us over $150 million at completion and that is why we are very sure that by the time we are done, people will appreciate us better. So, those who want quality and are familiar with Charterhouse know why their children must come to our school.
Talking about the possibility of the school reducing its fees in response to the public criticism, Olatunbosun said: “Education is like somebody who is hungry and wants to take lunch and goes to a restaurant where a plate of food is N5,000 and another goes elsewhere to take the same size of food at just N2,000 and yet another goes elsewhere where he or she will get it for N15,000 or more.
“Though the food may look alike, their value will never be the same. So, it is about providing value for money and that is what we do at Charterhouse.”