The concerned Parents of Riverside College, Channels Road, OPIC Lagos, has been in a continuous disagreement with the management of Riverside Schools, over its refusal to allow us have Parents Teachers Association (PTA) in the school; parents who we are the major and critical stakeholders in the school business.
We have been and currently in a serious continuous tussle with the owner(s) of Riverside Schools, Channels Road, OPIC Lagos on the formation of PTA for the College. This struggle started about a year ago, although the school has been in existence for about 10years. We have approached the Principal, Director of Studies/Proprietor and the Management of the school on the importance and need to have PTA in place. This will also be an avenue for us Parents to interface at regular intervals with the school, on issues bothering around our children. All attempts by us to make the school establish PTA prove abortive, as the school told us they were not interested. We wrote letters to them on our decision and interest and still they did not yield to our request. As major stakeholders, we are resolute to ensure the right thing is done.
We however, formed a WhatsApp platform to interact, brainstorm and to strategize on the possible ways to have PTA structure in place. The number of the parents on the WhatsApp platform grew to about 50; with the sole aim of arriving at possible ways for the school to work with us to have PTA body in place. Sometimes in December 2021, we demanded for a meeting with the school management and the agitation for the day is the request for formation of PTA and other issues arising, which include:
– Anti-bullying Policy
– Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) Policy
– School Bus Management
– Suggestions/Complaints Management Process
– Fees (Medical); among others
Afterwards, the school management invited College parents for another meeting, where they agreed to form ‘Association of Friends & Parents of Riverside College’ against the generally known PTA. From the explanation given to us, this Association will accommodate anyone and everyone interested; and not necessarily parents of students of the school who pay bills. We all vehemently opposed to this proposal and insisted on PTA. Meanwhile, there is PTA in the Nursery and Primary section of the school where some of us also have our children and belong to.
When the WhatsApp group was created in December 2021, the link was broadcasted with an accompanied caveat that it is exclusive for parents of the students of the College and not teachers or management, or anyone with dual position (parent and management). On Saturday June 18 2022, the Director of Studies/Proprietress – Mrs. Dunni Adewuyi and her husband Mr. Adewuyi found their way into this WhatsApp group created by the parents and this action did not go well with us. We therefore humbly requested that they excused us from the platform, which they refused and as one of the Administrators of the WhatsApp platform and spokesperson after explaining to them why they could not be in the group, removed them.
Later that day at about 2230 hours, I saw 5 repeated missed calls from the Proprietress. I returned the call as it seemed like a distress call, only to be verbally attacked, bullied, cursed, insulted and threatened by the husband, for removing them from the WhatsApp platform and for being the spokesperson for the Parents’ demand. All my efforts (including my wife’s) to appeal and explain to them proved abortive; rather myself and my family were threatened. In his words, “I will deal with you, I will remove your children from my school, Are you the owner of the school, etc”. This matter has already been reported to the Police because of the threat to my life, wife and children.
In view of the above, as the major stakeholders in the school, we are resolute to continue the agitation until the management of the school is ready to do the needful on this matter because it is unthink of at this 21st century to say parents who pay bills in a school cannot have a say on issues that affect our children education through a body of Parents Teachers Association (PTA). We also use this time to call on the regulators in education sector to please always monitor these private schools and cut their excesses that could be detrimental to stakeholders in the sector.
*Olusegun Aremu*
Spokesperson,
Parents Association, Riverside College,
Channels Road, OPIC Isheri Lagos.
