King’s College Concession Threatens Public Education, NUT Warns FG

The Nigeria Union of Teachers has criticised the Federal Government’s decision to concession the management of King’s College, Lagos, to the school’s Old Boys’ Association, warning that the arrangement could undermine public education.

NUT National President, Audu Amba, described the concession of the 117-year-old Federal Government-owned school as worrisome and said the institution should remain under government funding and protection.

Amba argued that the government’s decision could amount to an attempt to move towards privatising public education and potentially reduce access to quality education for children from less privileged backgrounds.

He said the Federal Government had a responsibility to provide free, qualitative and accessible education to Nigerian children.

The controversy follows the Federal Government’s decision to concession the management of King’s College to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association under a long-term public-private partnership arrangement.

The arrangement has generated opposition from teachers’ unions, workers, parents and other stakeholders, who have raised concerns about the future of public education and the possible implications of the concession for other Federal Unity Colleges.

The Federal Government, however, has maintained that King’s College has not been sold or privatised. The Ministry of Education said the government would retain full legal ownership and oversight of the institution.

Under the proposed arrangement, the Old Boys’ Association would take responsibility for financing, rehabilitating, modernising, operating and maintaining the school, while the Federal Government would retain its statutory regulatory, monitoring and inspection powers.

The government has also assured stakeholders that school fees would not be increased outside the existing Federal Government policy applicable to Federal Unity Schools.

The dispute previously led to industrial action and disruption to the resumption of Federal Unity Colleges across the country. Following discussions with organised labour, the Federal Government agreed to suspend implementation of the King’s College concession for two weeks and established a committee to review concerns surrounding the arrangement.

The NUT’s latest position adds to the concerns raised by education-sector unions over the concession and the broader implications for government-funded schools.

The debate centres on whether partnerships with alumni organisations can improve infrastructure and management in public schools while preserving government responsibility, affordability and equal access to education.