Prices of school supplies surge by 150 to 300%
The government provides free books to more than 250 children who are studying at the schools. However, the families are so poor that they can't even afford the expenses for copies, bags, shoes, uniforms and stationery. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN
Ahead of the new academic session, the prices of textbooks, notebooks, uniforms, shoes, and stationery for students from Grade 1 to Grade 9 have surged by 150 to 300 per cent.
The wholesale supply of these items has reached its peak across the province, coinciding with the start of new admissions in both public and private schools from February 6. Annual examinations have already begun in private schools, while public schools will commence their exams on the 10th of Ramazan.
Meanwhile, the new curriculum for Grade 9 has introduced six additional subject groups, with new textbooks now available in the open market.
The cost of textbooks has witnessed a record hike, with the price of eight books for Grade 9 ranging between Rs350 and Rs900 each. The price of standard notebooks now stands at Rs200, medium-quality notebooks at Rs300, and premium notebooks at Rs450.
Registers are priced at Rs250 for standard quality and Rs400 for premium quality.
Drawing books range between Rs300 and Rs600, while the binding cost for textbooks alone has increased to Rs200.
Stationery items have also seen a sharp rise, with colour pencil sets now priced between Rs200 and Rs800, and practical notebooks reaching Rs1,000.
The cost of school uniforms has surged, with girls' uniforms priced between Rs4,500 and Rs5,000, and boys' uniforms costing Rs3,500. School shoes now range from Rs3,500 to Rs5,000.
For students from Grade 1 to Grade 8, textbook prices have increased by 150 per cent.
According to Arshad Naveed, a bookseller in Rawalpindi's Urdu Bazaar, the price hike is due to the increasing cost of imported paper, which has surged by 500 per cent in the open market.
Parents have strongly condemned the price surge.
Shoaib Ali and Chaudhry Imran, speaking on behalf of parents, criticised the government for making education unaffordable.
They argued that public schools are becoming privatised, while free textbooks are being discontinued, making education inaccessible for low-income families.
They warned that these policies would lead to a rise in the number of street children and demanded that schools provide textbooks and stationery free of cost.
Parents have called on the government to intervene and regulate the prices of school supplies, urging the relevant authorities to ensure that education remains affordable for all.
Many parents are now struggling to meet the rising costs, and they fear that the increased expenses will put undue pressure on families already facing financial challenges.
They have demanded that the government take immediate steps to control prices and ensure that essential educational materials, such as textbooks and stationery, remain accessible to everyone, regardless of their income level.