Parents across the country are expressing growing concern over the rising cost of education as schools resume for the third term today, with inflation continuing to erode household incomes and stretch family budgets.

Many families say the combined burden of higher school fees, transportation costs, uniforms, books, and other essential supplies has become increasingly difficult to manage, forcing some to make tough financial decisions or seek alternative schooling options.

According to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) last week, Nigeria’s headline inflation rate rose to 15.38 per cent in March 2026, up from 15.06 per cent recorded in February.

The Guardian reports that the steady rise in inflation has translated into higher prices for goods and services across the board, including education-related expenses.

For many parents/guardians, the impact is immediate and severe. Private school operators, citing increased operational costs such as electricity, rent, and staff salaries, have implemented upward reviews of tuition fees, even as public schools are not immune to the effects of inflation, as ancillary charges continue to climb.

In Abuja, the hike in fuel price has also had a toll on school bus services operated by schools, as institutions are forced to either raise transport fees or scale back routes and frequency of trips to cope with escalating fuel and maintenance costs, further straining parents already grappling with rising living expenses.

Findings indicate that school bus charges in the country’s capital range between N100,000 and N200,000 per child each month, depending on the distance travelled. For parents with three children, this translates to an outlay of between N300,000 and N600,000 monthly for the prepaid service.

For a father of two, Cyril Odiakose, the situation has forced him to reassess his household priorities, cutting back on non-essential expenses and exploring more affordable schooling alternatives to keep up with rising costs.

He said the steady increase in tuition and transportation fees has placed significant pressure on his finances, noting that what used to be manageable expenses have now become a major monthly burden.

“I have had to make difficult choices,” he said. “At this rate, you either adjust your lifestyle or risk falling behind on your children’s education.”

Also, a mother of three, Funke Adebayo, lamented that the cost of school transportation alone now rivals tuition fees, describing the situation as unsustainable for many middle-income families.

It was also observed that while some families have turned to social media appeals to cover tuition costs, a few others depend on support from relatives and friends.

Education stakeholders warn that if the trend persists, it could widen inequality in access to quality education, as more families may be forced to withdraw their children from private schools or opt for less expensive alternatives.

They, therefore, called on the government to consider targeted interventions, including subsidies and policies aimed at cushioning the impact of inflation on education, to ensure that children are not deprived of learning opportunities due to economic hardship.

In an interview with The Guardian, the Initiator, Creative Change Centre, Omole Ibukun, said this is the time to fully leverage public schools by ensuring they provide free, high-quality education.

His words: “In the last one to two years, many schools have increased fees by 25 per cent to even 100 per cent, with some mid-range schools jumping from around N350,000 to over N600,000 per term. At the same time, inflation has remained high, while incomes have largely stagnated. This has created a widening gap between earnings and basic costs, which include cost of education.

“Families are pulling children out of private schools into lower-cost alternatives and reducing spending on food, healthcare, and housing just to keep children in school. Some are taking loans, selling assets, or relying on informal support networks like family and friends. This is the moment to maximize public schools by making education in public schools free and quality”.

Also speaking with our correspondent, Prof. Edem Eniang of the University of Uyo called on government to move from general subsidies to targeted education support.

He argued that a national or state-level education voucher system, directed at low- and middle-income families, can help parents offset tuition costs while allowing children remain in quality schools of their choice.

This approach, he said, is more efficient than blanket funding and directly cushions vulnerable households.

Prof. Eniang also charged schools to rethink their cost structures, adding that private institutions can adopt shared services models by pooling transportation, digital learning platforms and specialized teaching staff across clusters of schools. This, he explains, reduces overhead costs without lowering standards.

He advised parents to adopt better financial planning by breaking school expenses into manageable monthly savings rather than waiting to make large, last-minute payments.

He also urged them to engage schools early on possible flexible payment options, as many institutions allow instalments or short extensions when approached transparently.

Eniang also encouraged considering cost-sharing measures such as jointly organizing transport, bulk-buying textbooks and uniforms, and sharing learning materials within trusted groups to reduce recurring costs.

In the same vein, he counselled families to make pragmatic schooling decisions where necessary, including opting for more affordable yet credible schools or combining formal education with supervised home learning.

According to him, emphasis should be on the quality of learning rather than prestige.

He said: “In the current climate, survival is less about drastic sacrifice and more about smart adaptation, early planning, and collective support.

“As the reality of bad governance stares all of us in the face, prospective parents need to approach childbearing today with a clear-eyed financial and long-term mindset, especially given the rising cost of education. Don’t blame it on the government. The choice is yours!”