This is the position of the education resource persons that spoke with THE WHISTLER on Sunday. According to them, the charges are mainly associated with professional courses, such as medicine, law, accounting, nursing and engineering.
Dr Hyacinth Ogene is a consultant educationist. He said most parents use private universities to gain access to public universities with ease. “Students with the minimum approved admission scores by JAMB can be admitted to any course in private universities,” says Dr Ogene. “Some of them resort to private universities when they couldn’t secure admission to their choice course in public universities. Some students could be studying courses like nursing with the minimum admission benchmark of 150. After one year, their parents demand to transfer their children to public universities. It is very easy at that level to secure admission at public universities so far the student is qualified.
“But it is to the disadvantage of private universities. They pay heavily to accrediting bodies. They also have slots from the regulatory bodies, which they can’t exceed. If a private university gives its restricted slot to a candidate, and suddenly the parents want to change his or her university, it is justified that huge levies be imposed. Do you know what it takes to engage professors and senior lecturers at private schools? Some parents are mischievous.”
A lecturer, Dr Maureen Uzosike, advised parents to weigh their incomes before sending their children and wards to private institutions.
“Private universities have some advantages in terms of conducive and unhindered academic activities. But the prices must be paid. Many parents opt out of public universities because of their attendant industrial actions and unstructured academic activities. Most private universities are well-structured that a student has his or her academic calendar, including the day of graduation.
“Private universities also have better facilities, both in structures and ICT. Their students are better regulated. They are also mostly regimented. Parents should check their pockets before making the choice of institutions for their wards. If they simply want to exploit the opportunities to find their ways to public universities, they must pay.”
A parent, Dennis Ogbe, said his child is in a private university in River State. “I pay a lot, but I don’t regret it,” he told our correspondent. “I graduated around 2001. I spent seven years reading a five-year course because of industrial actions. My first son passed the same ordeal. My daughter is now in her third year in the private university; she didn’t miss any year. It’s true it costs a lot to train her, but if one can afford it, it is better inasmuch as such the courses have accreditation. We pray for education-friendly federal and state governments in Nigeria. How can that be achievable when our leaders send their children and awards overseas to study?”
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