Parents and students of King’s College, Lagos, have rejected the Federal Government’s proposed handover of the 117-year-old institution to the King’s College Old Boys Association, threatening legal action and disruption of the school’s next academic session.
Hundreds of parents and students staged a peaceful protest on Thursday across parts of Lagos Island, demanding that the Federal Government retain control of the college.
The protesters began their march at the school gate and moved through major roads linking the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Office in Marina to Tafawa Balewa Square and the National Museum.
They carried placards with messages including, “King’s College is not for sale. Beware!!!” and “Federal Government, we say no to concession.”
Speaking during the protest, the Chairman of the school’s Parent-Teacher Association, Peter Oluwaleye, said parents had repeatedly communicated their opposition to the proposed handover to the Ministry of Education and the Presidency but had received no response.
He said the protest was organised to stop any plan to transfer control of the college to the old boys’ association, insisting that King’s College should remain under the Federal Government.
Oluwaleye said the PTA had stated its position at the school’s annual general meeting and in letters sent to the government, adding that parents remained firmly opposed to any arrangement that would transfer the institution’s management.
He also criticised claims allegedly made by members of the old boys’ association that they now owned the school.
“The Old Boys Association keep going around telling the whole world that they now own King’s College, Lagos. But it is not true. It is barbaric, satanic for old students to lay claim to the school that produced them,” he said.
Rather than seeking control of the institution, Oluwaleye said the old boys should support the school through voluntary contributions.
“We expected them to give back to the school voluntarily and generously. But they are saying they want to take over the school,” he said.
The PTA chairman also questioned the ability of the old boys’ association to manage an institution of King’s College’s size and reputation under the proposed 35-year arrangement.
He alleged that the plan could lead to the commercialisation of the management of a public secondary school, saying parents would not accept it.
“We see these old boys association members as businessmen that cannot run an educational institution of this magnitude. They are planning to run the school for an initial 35 years. But we, the parents, are saying no,” he said.
Oluwaleye said the parents had resolved to seek legal redress if the Federal Government proceeded with the proposed handover.
He added that parents would also oppose the resumption of students for the new academic session, scheduled for September 13, until the Ministry of Education formally responds to their concerns.
“We have resolved that after this protest, we are going to court. We will tell the Federal Government that it is its responsibility to educate the citizens,” he said.
“We will ensure that there is no resumption in the school until we hear directly from the Ministry of Education. That is our resolution,” he concluded.
An ex-officio member of the school’s PTA, Aje Olatunji, said the protest was organised because stakeholders did not want the school transferred to the private sector.
Olatunji said the protesters moved from the school gate through General Hospital to Tafawa Balewa Square, before proceeding through the Yoruba Tennis Club and returning towards Defence House and General Baptist School.
He described the demonstration as peaceful, saying there was no violence or chaos during the march.
According to him, the protesters used placards to draw attention to their opposition to the proposed handover.
He added that no official of the school management addressed the protesters, explaining that the participation of civil servants and labour representatives was necessary because King’s College remained a government institution.
The King’s College Old Boys’ Association had earlier announced that the Federal Government had approved a new governance framework for the institution, describing it as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”
However, its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, maintained that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the school but a partnership with the Federal Government aimed at restoring, modernising and sustaining the institution.
The PTA, however, argued that King’s College was established to provide affordable, accessible and quality education to Nigerian children regardless of their social or economic background.
It expressed concern that the proposed arrangement could result in higher school fees and other charges, potentially putting the school beyond the reach of families from low-income backgrounds.
The association said it was not against private investment in education but rejected any arrangement that could undermine affordability, accessibility, equity and the public interest.
It reaffirmed its support for genuine reforms that would improve educational standards while protecting students’ rights and preserving the public identity of King’s College.
The PTA also criticised what it described as the secrecy surrounding the proposal, saying parents, teachers and members of the host community were not adequately consulted before the plan emerged.
It maintained that decisions affecting students’ education and welfare should be made through broad consultation and meaningful engagement with relevant stakeholders.
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