As Nigeria’s economic crunch deepens, many parents with children in private schools are facing fresh challenges—not just with rising school fees but also with new dietary rules imposed by school authorities.
In several schools, parents are no longer allowed to pack just any meal for their children. Instead, pupils are now mandated to follow a “balanced diet formula,” which includes scheduled “fruit days.”
According to findings, pupils are expected to bring specific meals twice a week, and if a meal is repeated a third time, it will be rejected by the school. On two designated days each week, children must also come with varieties of fruits as their main lunch.
For many parents, already struggling to put food on the table, these rules add extra pressure.
Mr. George Olorunfemi, a bricklayer, shared his frustration:
> “Sometimes, when we don’t have money for a different meal, I ask my wife to keep the children at home. Eating a balanced diet is good, but how many parents can afford it when we are barely managing to eat three times a day? Back then, we ate whatever we had, yet we still succeeded academically.”
Similarly, Mrs. Judith Maxwell, a sachet water seller, narrated how she broke down in tears when told that her three-year-old daughter must follow the balanced diet and fruit rule in kindergarten.
> “I visited three different schools, and all had the same requirement. It was only the fourth school I checked that didn’t insist on it. Even some teachers cannot afford a balanced diet themselves. Children can be selective with food, so enforcing this sometimes makes them go hungry.”
For Mrs. Stella Omorodion, who grinds tomatoes and peppers for a living, the rule was the last straw.
> “I have three children in private school, and when the balanced diet policy came up, I told the teachers that my children would eat what I could provide. I cannot steal to meet school demands. Eventually, I had to move them to another school. There are already too many expenses—fees, books, bills—and now schools are asking for fruits and balanced meals daily.”
On the other hand, education experts defend the policy. Mr. Martins Ogbemudia explained that the intention is to improve children’s learning outcomes.
> “Balanced diets help boost cognitive function, enhance concentration, and improve academic performance. Good nutrition supports growth and brain development. The challenge, however, is that many families cannot afford such meals in today’s economy.”
For now, parents remain caught between the benefits of proper nutrition and the reality of economic hardship. While schools argue that good meals are essential for learning, many households believe the strict rules are insensitive to their daily struggles for survival.
