The Delta State Government has said it will prioritise the provision of furniture in public primary and secondary schools in its 2027 budget following an increase in enrolment caused by parents withdrawing their children from private schools over rising school fees.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Akambe Henry, disclosed this on Wednesday after the ministry presented its interministerial 2027 budget defence in Asaba, the state capital.
Henry said the rising cost of living had made it difficult for many parents to pay private school fees, forcing them to seek admission for their children in public schools and putting additional pressure on available facilities.
He said, “I have been receiving a lot of requests from parents in private schools who want to transfer their children to public schools because of the high cost of living. They can no longer cope with the fees.
“This is putting pressure on the facilities in public schools, as enrolment continues to increase due to the economic situation.”
The Permanent Secretary said the ministry had also drawn the attention of the budget committee to the need to provide more chairs and desks for pupils and students, stressing that renovated school buildings without furniture would not guarantee a conducive learning environment.
“It is not enough to have good structures, renovated and painted buildings without furniture. A beautiful house without furniture has no value.
“We need to put more emphasis on providing chairs for our children in both primary and secondary schools,” he added.
Henry disclosed that the proposed 2027 budget ceiling for primary education was N10bn, while secondary education was allocated N12bn.
He explained that the figures reflected the state government’s decision to reduce budgetary allocations across ministries, departments and agencies in line with available resources.
He also expressed concern that the proposed allocation for Early Childhood Development was inadequate when compared with the Federal Government’s benchmark and research requirements.
He, however, said the ministry would work with the available allocation for the coming year, while hoping for improved funding in subsequent budgets.
