By Saheed Ibrahim

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As primary and secondary schools in Nigeria prepare to resume for a new session, parents and guardians have raised alarm over increasing prices of textbooks, stationery and school items.
Some parents, who spoke with The Hope lamented that sending their wards to school had added to the economic burdens currently being felt in the country.
According to them, school fees have increased, prices for text books, school bags and writing materials have jumped up, not excluding prices of socks, cardigans and other school related materials.
The Hope survey in the market revealed that 40 and 60 leaves notebooks had increased from N800 and N1,200 to N1,000 and N1,400 respectively.
A piece of pen, pencil, sharpener and ruler now cost N50, N20, N50 and N50 respectively. Two years back, a pen cost just N20 while a pencil was sold for N10.
Prices of school bags have also jumped. The least price in the market was N2500 for either “Okrika” or inferior quality bags.
Original leather sandal for students cost between N2,500 and N5,000 while rubber sandal for pupils in primary school coat of N1,000.
Cost of textbooks are not left out as New General Mathematics text book cost N2,000 and Intensive English cost N1,800 without workbook. Both text books were sold between N1,200 and N1,500 initially.
An average story book for primary school students, which used to be sold between N300 and N500 now cost N700
On school fees, The Hope gathered that many of the schools had not increased their fees while some had.
Speaking with The Hope, a parent, Mrs Feyisara Ayodele lamented that she had spent every penny on her to buy few things for her children.
Another parent, Mrs Monsurat Isekolowo said increase in the prices of school needs for students had added to the burden of parents.
“They items are just too expensive. They keep adding money to them every year. Imagine a biro costs N50. Something we used to buy N10 or N20 few years ago.
A secondary school teacher in Ibadan, Mrs Ajoke Agboola said the new prices of school items were unconnected with the economic realities in the country.
According to her, her school had decided not to increase school fees due to the recent surge in prices of books and other school materials.
A secondary school teacher in Akure, Mr Tunde Adams said his school decided that students should buy their books from wherever they wish, since prices from publishers had jumped up.
He said the decision was taken as some parents thought the school was the one adding extra money to the books.
A book seller, who does not want her name in print, told The Hope that, “the books publishers used to bring for N350 are now N500.
“It is not our fault. It is what we buy that we sell and we cannot sell at doss”, she told The Hope.
She further revealed that publishers were also lamenting that cost of producing the books since Naira had fallen against Dollar.
Speaking in similar tune, a kiddies and students’ items merchant, Mrs Mariam Aleshinloye told The Hope that she and other sellers imported many of their goods and since Naira had fallen to N580 a dollar, the ripple effect would be on prices of goods imported.