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Nigeria

Affordable Private Schools in Nigeria

A large number of private, independent schools provide access to education in the poor urban and rural areas of Nigeria. The proportion of children enrolled in private schools has increased from 4.6 to 7.2 percent in the recent years, as reported by the EFA Global Monitoring Report, 2008. The official estimate highlights that there are twice as many unregistered schools as registered schools and almost 40% of the 2.5 million children enrolled in Lagos attend schools that are not recognized by the ministry of education.  This reality underscores the role that Affordable Private Schools (APS) are playing in filling the gap of educational provision for socially and economically disadvantaged children.

National Education System

Nigeria's education system is structured in a 6-3-3 format. Children begin school with six years of primary education, followed by three years of junior secondary education and three years of senior secondary education. Education is free and compulsory for the first nine of the 12 years of school. However, low-income families often find a child’s education costly during that time, having to pay various taxes and fees related to parent-teacher associations, books and uniforms.

Nigeria faced a public education crisis in the 1990s, when it did not have enough space to admit a rapid rate of student enrollment in public schools. In turn, it is thought that this crisis contributed to the greater need and demand for APS.

Case Study: Lagos

Lagos is the most populous region in Nigeria and currently the 2nd fastest growing city in Africa and the 7th fastest in the world. The Lagos State Government operates state schools.The education levels are Primary, Junior Secondary School, Senior Secondary School, and university. All children are offered basic education, with special focus now on the first nine years.

In 2003, the Nigerian government ordered all unregistered and registered APS in Lagos to close or re-apply for registration. Despite the directive, APS continue to thrive in Nigeria's capital. Official records show that there are 1.2 million students who attended

A 2005 study found an additional 400,000 students in 1,754 unregistered private schools. The government's efforts to close unregistered schools were constrained by the fact that it does not have a complete list of all private schools in the country. APS based in Lagos represent an amount equal (approx. 50 percent) of student enrollment in the capital.

In Lagos, individual entrepreneurs own and manage APS purely as commercial enterprises. Two private associations support their efforts in the area: The Association of Proprietors of Private Schools caters to registered and recognized schools and the Association for Formidable Education Development supports and advocates for unregistered affordable private schoools.

Affordable Private School Profile

The following are common attributes of APS in Nigeria:

School Management & Operations

  • School tuition averages $5 per month, per student.
  • Often, the poorest families are offered discounted tuition.
  • School facilities vary in their access to water, electricity and classroom materials.
  • Sole proprietors largely run the schools; very few receive outside philanthropic support or bank loans; and none receive state funding.
  • Full-time teachers earn $12 to $20 per month. In general, the average salary of a private schoolteacher is one fourth to one third that of a government schoolteacher.
  • Income is generated mainly from school fees. Proprietors retain the profits.

Teaching & Learning Environment

  • Most schools provide instruction in English.
  • The schools hire local teachers and define clear rules for managing and disciplining staff and students.
  • In general, the student-to-teacher ratio in private schools is half that of government schools.

Parents & Students

  • Most parents of children in APS are self-employed artisans. A quarter of them earn less than $35 a month.
  • Scholarship programs enable as many as 25 percent of students to attend school at a discounted rate.

School Associations

  • Information about countrywide associations is not available, but APS based in Lagos have the support of two private associations. The Association of Proprietors of Private Schools caters to registered and recognized schools, and the Association for Formidable Education Development supports and advocates for unregistered APS.

 

Resources

 

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