School resumption blues

By Gabriel Dike, Kleod Olekanma, Blessing Ani, Chisom Emmanuel and Bere Gyang (Jos)

Parents and guardians are in for September blues as primary and secondary schools in some states resumed for new academic calendar yesterday. Others are to resume next week.

They are are confronted with hike in prices of materials needed for resumption. Their wards need new educational items for their new classes.

Investigations further revealed that private schools that insisted on their pupils purchasing these materials increased prices due to increased cost of supply from publishers.

Top among the these are school fees, books  shoes, new school uniform and bags. Parents complained that even the prescribed books for pupils in secondary and primary schools have become unaffordable.

Mr. Ameerah Anima Katagum, a civil servant in Lagos, has four kids. He lamented that prices of books increased by about 30 per cent: “School fees have been increased but not as much as the cost of books.”

Another Lagos parent, Mrs. Mariam Abdulsamad Sulieman, said: “First term always comes with extra cost. What I do is that I buy only Maths and English textbooks for my wards, because the subjects are very essential. Then after they spend a month in school, I will find out which other textbooks are essential for them and I will get them.

“Most of these books change over the years and sometimes it changes after some months. It is not possible for the older siblings to give their younger ones their used textbooks. I always have to buy new ones, which is not easy because the school fees increase from time to time.”

Mrs. Chioma Obama, a bookshop seller, Agege Market, Lagos, said: “We are being patronised because resumption is just by the corner. The increase in the prices of books is from the companies supplying them and not an individual decision.’’

Mr. Iyanda Olahitan, also bookshop seller, Lagos: “Not only the textbooks have increased in prices but even the stationery, notebooks and other writing materials. This increase is not just to benefit us but to also benefit the producers of these materials.

“We also have to make gains because for most of us, this is our only means of survival. By next week, this place will be flooded with parents who want to get books for their wards.”

Naimat Abdulazeez sells books at Ayobo, Lagos, said: “As you are standing, you can see that nobody is coming to buy whereas resumption is in a week or two. Ordinarily, I would not be able to attend to you if it were last year because of high patronage.

“Last year, a price of 40 leaves ranged from N900 to N1, 000 but now we are selling it for N1, 500. Last year 60 leaves notebooks went for N1, 400. Now it is N2, 200 and it is still going up. It is a norm that the prices hike when school resumption is very near.

“Parents are lamenting, some even shed tears while standing here. Some have four to five kids and they want to buy like 16 pieces of exercise books. They are very expensive hence they tend to buy what they can afford.

“Before, we supplied to schools and collected money later. Schools would tell you to wait until pupils pay before they pay you.

“Last year, schools made branded exercise books. But now they are asking us to supply them on credit. It is not possible because we have to pay the companies.

“If one wants to buy 50 cartons of exercise books, it will cost about N1.2 million. Before COVID-19, a carton of 40 leaves was N8, 800 from the company, now a carton is N24, 000.

“Parents buy stationery materials more. This is because there is no substitute to such items. They are necessities.”

Mrs. Folarin Florence, lecturer, Anchor University, Ayobo, Lagos, has three kids: “Comparing the prices of textbooks from last year to this year amounts to a great difference because things have increased.

“Things are extremely expensive. For example, I spent about N40, 000 on books for my children that are in primary school despite the fact that I did not get all the textbooks.

“For now, the textbooks are more important to me than the school fees. The reason being that we are in this country together, school owners know what is happening. One can always plead with them to give some time to pay the school fees.

“In my children’s school, we are given the grace of two weeks after resumption to pay the fees. So, to me, it’s better I get the educational materials and it is more important than the school fees.”

The situation in Plateau State degenerated to the point that parents no longer buy required books for their children. Most of the parents are battling to feed their families due to poor economy. 

Ernest Umeaku, a bookshop owner, along Rwang Pam Street, Jos, painted a gloomy picture. He has been operating from that particularly shop for over 10 years: “You can see what the situation is. You came here and there was no parent. You have been here for some minutes, nobody has come to purchase books. This is how gloomy the situation is.

“There were some days. I would open shop from 7am-4:30pm, nobody would come for even an exercise book. I couldn’t even make N50 yesterday. I left for home emptyhanded because no parent came to buy books while schools are resuming.

“I started this business in 1978 but it has never been this bad. In the previous years, we used to make good sales no matter how bad the situation was. Sometimes I sold between N10, 000 to N20, 000 daily. I cannot sell for even N1, 000 now.”

Umeaku blamed the lack of patronage on the inability of the clueless APC government to drive the nation’s economy to prosperity for the people: “There are materials like drawing boards being sold for N25, 000. But, I cannot recall when last a parent came last for such materials.”

Emmanuel James, a bookseller also in Jos said the situation got out of hand two years ago: “The lack of patronage for this academic session may be worst compare to the previous years. The prices of books are now double. Some parents who are my customers came but could not afford the books as they used to purchase due to the price hike.

“Sixty-leaf exercise books which sold at N70 is now N150 while 40-leaf that was N60 is now N120. Many parents can’t afford the hike in prices.”

Mrs Gani Bello, proprietress, Royal Academy, Isolo, Lagos, acknowledged that the new academic session would certainly be a tough one for schools because of high cost of educational materials: “This academic session will be tough for school owners. The situation will certainly affect payment of salaries and running of schools.

“At the close of last session, the school management decided not to increase school fee to enable parents meet up with their obligations.” She also expressed concerned about high cost of textbooks and other items: “Most parents will not be able to buy the required books for their wards because of hike in prices.”