In Nigeria, an “ordinary” primary school charges N25.5 million per child
If you can’t cough out at least N3 million annually, don’t go near Children’s International School (CIS), Lagos.
CIS, which boasts of being “the leading providers of first class primary and secondary school education in Lagos, Nigeria today” charges a whopping, and non-refundable, N2 million acceptance fee.
And that is despite the huge sums the school will charge you as your child progresses from Preschool to Year 6.
Someone shared a photo of a printout containing CIS’ junior school fees. It broke the internet.
List of CIS’ outrageous fees
Registration fee – N40,000
Acceptance fee (non-refundable) – N2 million
Tuition per annum
Preschool – N2,217,600
Reception – 2,442,825
Year 1 – N2,896,740
Year 2 – N2, 986,830
Year 3 – 3,160,080
Year 4 – 3,160,080
Year 5 – 3,160,080
Year 6 – N3,215,520
School uniforms (7 items) and a 4-item P.E. uniform – N54,500 for boys, N63,500 for girls
School bus (optional) – 65,000
PTA Levy – N14,000
The school charges a 10% fine on late payments with the threat of eviction on the heads of those who fail to pay.
“Where fees have not been paid, a space cannot be guaranteed for the child,” the school says in a statement on its website.
If you have the money, will you spend N25 million on your child’s primary school education alone? Scroll down to take our poll.
The school has at least 570 students in its junior and senior divisions. We don’t know how high senior school fees are.
If you enroll your children at CIS Preschool with plans to ensure they finish their primary school education there, you would have spent approximately N25.5 million on each of them by the time they finish Year 6 – and that’s if the forces of inflation don’t raise the financial bar.
See, I just looked at images of the facilities at that Children's International School. The fees are exorbitant but millionaires won't mind.
— Chuky Unadulterated (@ChukyUnfazed) July 17, 2016
Well, that’s according to the information on the image going viral on social media – information CIS refused to confirm to NewsroomNG via phone.
“Let me connect you to our admin office,” Mr Michael, a school spokesperson who said he couldn’t confirm the details of our story, told our correspondent.
After placing our correspondent on hold for about two minutes, Michael spoke again explaining why he couldn’t confirm the details.
“I’m afraid I can’t confirm this over the phone,” he said. “You will have to come to our school before we can tell you anything. I’ve heard about the image you said is going viral online but I haven’t checked it out. I can’t confirm anything to you on the phone.”
2million Naira acceptance fee -Non refundable ,Children international school lekki 🙄🙄🙄🙄
— INSPECTAH DECK (@adewoleade) July 16, 2016
Those of you that attended Children's International School here oya raise your hand 🙋🙋🙋…I hope you are all ambassadors now.
— Taiwo Oduwole (@T_nightingale) July 16, 2016
However, school head Mark McLuckie says every naira CIS, which collected its fees in dollars until the Nigerian government disallowed it, charges is justified.
“We are a hard working school with a skilled and committed staff who go the extra mile to support the children in their care,” McLuckie said in a statement on CIS’ website.
He said CIS has almost a decade of academic excellence which it continually improves upon.
There are at least 78 teachers at CIS. According to the information available on the school’s website, only 27 of the teachers had any form of education in Nigeria.
McLuckie got his bachelor’s degree from a university in the UK. So did several others on the teaching staff. Some others were schooled in the US, India, Ghana, South Africa, the Netherlands and other foreign countries.
Even some who schooled in Nigeria had a form of education oversees. There are Nigerians and foreigners on the teaching staff.
Aside its array of “super” teachers, CIS possesses a learning environment so conducive pupils can’t different between home and school, McLuckie says.
Is that why CIS costs so much? Should it?
Nigerians who have the money and those who believe nothing good can come out of their homeland should find CIS appealing. So should expatriates who may not trust “Nigerian” schools.
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