Parents cry foul as St. Francis School allegedly extorts N390,000 for SS1 leadership programme

Michael Olumide

Parents of students at St. Francis Catholic Secondary School, Idimu, Lagos, have raised serious concerns over what they describe as an outrageous and unexplained fee of N390,000 for the annual Sea School Leadership Program for SS1 students.

According to a report made available to The Mirror, the program, approved by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, is a ten-day leadership and citizenship training that takes place once a year and is mandatory for all first-year senior secondary students.

Historically, the program’s cost has been increasing gradually, reaching N200,000 per child in the 2024/25 session.

However, for the 2025/26 academic year, the fee skyrocketed by 95%, culminating in a staggering N390,000 per student, despite the nation’s harsh economic conditions.

The Sea School Leadership Program, organized at the Citizenship and Leadership Training Center, Apapa, Lagos, requires students to bring personal items such as toiletries, bedsheets, pillowcases, training shoes, vests, sports kits, and school-branded T-shirts.

Parents also provide pocket money of up to N20,000 and ensure their children undergo medical checks before the programme. While the school handles transportation from the school to the Sea School jetty, the Center manages ferrying the students to the training facility.

According to the standard fee structure of the Sea School Leadership Center, the cost per student for registration, accommodation, electricity, and standard feeding is only N20,000.

Any additional enhancements, such as improved feeding plans, are billed modestly to the school, far below the current N390,000 fee charged by St. Francis Catholic Secondary School.

Parents’ frustrations escalated after repeated, unexplained charges. Initially billed N130,000 in the first term of 2025/26, parents were assured by the school authorities that this amount would not repeat.

However, the same figure resurfaced in the second and third terms, totaling N390,000 per child across the academic year. With 122 SS1 students enrolled, parents are being asked to collectively pay N47,580,000 for just ten days of leadership training.

Media inquiries with the Director of Training at the Sea School Headquarters in Abuja confirmed that the Center did not set the N390,000 fee, which is over three times the actual cost billed to the school.

The Apapa Coordinator echoed that the actual charges are far below N100,000, leaving a significant portion of the billed amount unexplained.

Parents’ demands are clear: a transparent breakdown of the N390,000 fee. Consideration for optional participation rather than a mandatory programme.

A significant reduction of fees to reflect the modest cost of the programme. Review or replacement of the program with alternatives that ensure value for students.

Parents argued that the current practice contradicts the Catholic and Jesuit values the school promotes, warning that parents should be treated as partners rather than “financial stooges.”

The Correspondent has called the contact information for relevant school authorities, and PTA leaders have been provided to facilitate accountability, which are the Administrator: Rev. Fr. Francis Koshoffa, Deputy Administrator: Rev. Fr. James Ocholi, Current PTA Chairperson: Mrs. Iyamu, and
Immediate Past PTA Chairman: Mr. Nmuonwu.

Their phone numbers were switched off at the time of filing the story.

As parents continued to seek clarity, the issue has sparked calls for independent investigation and media scrutiny to ensure fairness, transparency, and the preservation of the school’s integrity.