Parents and students of King’s College, Lagos, have rejected the proposed concession of the 117 year old federal institution to the King’s College Old Boys Association, threatening legal action and a possible boycott of the next academic session.
The stakeholders staged a peaceful protest across parts of Lagos Island, insisting that the Federal Government should retain ownership and control of the school.
Protesters marched from the school premises through several major locations while carrying placards opposing the proposed governance arrangement.
Parent Teacher Association Chairman Peter Oluwaleye said parents had repeatedly communicated their objections to the Ministry of Education and the Presidency but had not received a satisfactory response.
He said the PTA had formally stated its position at its Annual General Meeting and through written correspondence.
The parents argued that King’s College should remain a public institution under federal control and expressed concern that a concession could eventually lead to higher fees and reduced access for children from lower income families.
Oluwaleye also questioned whether the Old Boys Association had the capacity to manage an institution of the school’s scale under a proposed long term concession.
The PTA said it expected former students to support the school through voluntary contributions rather than assume management control.
Parents warned that they would seek judicial intervention if the Federal Government proceeded with the concession.
They also threatened to oppose resumption for the next academic session until the Ministry of Education formally addressed their concerns.
The proposed resumption date cited by the parents is September 13.
Another PTA representative, Aje Olatunji, said the protest remained peaceful and was intended to draw public attention to what parents considered a threat to the public character of the school.
The controversy followed an earlier announcement by the King’s College Old Boys Association that the Federal Government had approved a new governance framework.
The association described the arrangement as a partnership rather than a sale or privatization.
Its leadership said the objective was to restore, modernize and sustain the institution.
The PTA, however, said critical stakeholders had not been adequately consulted.
Parents said they were not opposed to reforms or private support for education but insisted that any changes must preserve affordability, accessibility, equity and public ownership.
The dispute is now likely to focus on the exact legal structure of the proposed concession, the authority under which it was approved and the safeguards available to students and families.
