By Lola Omowaye
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As schools prepare to resume for the 2018/2019 academic session in Ondo state,  many parents have expressed concerns at the high cost of school items while schools management are expecting increase in numbers of pupils/students.

Some  parents who spoke with The Hope across Akure, the State capital complained about hike in school items like text books, stationeries, school bags, lunch boxes, shoes among other things.

A civil servant, Mrs Josephine Oguntoyinbo said  that prices of textbooks, writing materials, school bags and shoes have gone up compared to previous session, adding that the new method of doing assignments in textbooks has made it  impossible for children of same parents to use same textbooks.

“  Books are partially expensive based on the situation now in the country. What makes matter worse is that one child cannot use his or her other siblings books. I do not know why they review books annually or every two years. Assuming it is like before it would have been better but now we have to buy all textbooks afresh.

“ I am prepared for their resumption, we need to pay their school fees, buy books, bags and change their lunch boxes. I also urged all parents to be prepared for the resumption and not wait until the last minute to avoid confusion or forgetting to get necessary things in place,” she said.

Another parent,  a businesswoman,  Mrs Ifedayo Olotu,, said that the cost of textbooks and stationeries are quite high, stating that there is the need for parents to prepare for resumption by  buying new school items if they can or manage the old ones that are still good.

The Head Mistress of Honest Kiddies Nursery and Primary School Oke- Aro, Akure, “Mrs Dayo Adelakun said ‘ we are prepared for resumption and expecting more pupils in the school. We have also approached the publishers to supply us with books to assist the parents, so that they do not have to wait on long queues at the bookshops to buy their children’s books. We have also cleared the surrounding to keep it neat and tidy as usual and refinished the classrooms to make it more attractive to the pupils. Our teachers have also resumed ahead to make preparations towards the resumption.’

“We appeal to our parents to ensure they buy their books on time, check their children’s uniforms, iron them and amend the ones that need amendment or buy news ones if need be.”

The proprietress of Worthland Nursery and Primary School, Ijapo Estate, Mrs Adeola James stated that the teachers went through training ahead of resumption to help enhance their productivity, saying there is need for more  effectiveness and efficiency in their academic.

Speaking about how prepared he is for resumption, a teacher in Globalview Elite Academy, Mr Peter Oluwatoba said he has read the textbooks ahead and have consulted with some friends teaching in other schools outside the state, in order to  learn new method to help build the interest of the pupils and enhance their performance in the new session.

“I have solved many questions particularly in mathematics in different ways so that I can teach the pupils  more ways to understand their subjects and different ways to solve one problem among other preparation. I am very prepared to teach my class pupils as soon as school resumes”.