August 24, 2026
THE school bell may have signalled the end of classes, but for some parents in Lagos, it is now the beginning of another race — against the clock and, sometimes, against a late-pickup bill.
Some private schools in Lagos and a few other major Nigerian cities are increasingly imposing monetary charges on parents who fail to collect their children within stipulated pickup periods.
The practice, which is not uniform across schools, is generating a fresh debate among parents, educators and school administrators over where parental responsibility ends and a school’s obligation to care for children after official closing time begins.
Some Lagos private schools now have clearly stated late-pickup policies, with charges ranging from fixed fees to amounts calculated according to how long a child remains in school after the designated pickup time. Others offer after-school programmes as an alternative for parents who cannot make it to the school gate before closing time.
