King’s College Not Sold: FG Assures Parents School Remains Publicly Owned Despite Concession
The Federal Government has stated that King’s College, Lagos, is not a sale or a privatisation and has assured families that the 117-year-old institution is still publicly owned, despite its concession to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA).
The concession was set up under a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement that aims to inject more investment and management expertise into the school without compromising its public status, Minister of Education Tunji Alausa said.
The agreement provides for the financing, rehabilitation, modernisation, operation and maintenance of the college by KCOBA. The federal government, however, will continue to own the land and have the regulatory, monitoring, inspection and enforcement authority.
The government said that the admissions process for children and families will remain unchanged from the current unity-college admissions policies, such as merit, transparency, fairness, and national representation. Testing and assessment will also be used for admission into JSS1, with the National Common Entrance Examination still being part of the process.
Alausa also explained that the agreement does not mandate a permanent school fee freeze, but it does not automatically raise school fees.
The concession will cover plans for the improvement of classrooms, hostels, laboratories, libraries, dining facilities, health services, sports areas and other infrastructure directly impacting on students’ learning and wellbeing.
Staff welfare would also be dealt with via a transition framework, and existing commitments, including pensions, gratuities and arrears, that have been made prior to the transition would continue to be held by the federal government unless agreed otherwise.
But the concession has been met with opposition. In August, parents and students refused the deal, citing concerns about the future of the institution.
The government will keep an eye on KCOBA’s performance and will have the power to intervene if there are serious contractual failures, it said.
