Back-to-school costs hit parents hard

Parents in Islamabad and Rawalpindi are facing mounting financial pressure as schools reopen, with private schools allegedly requiring them to buy branded books, notebooks, uniforms and stationery from designated outlets despite government directives against the practice.

Parents claim some basic stationery costs up to 300% more at designated shops than in the open market, leaving families with little choice and few effective avenues for complaints.

Islamabad schools have already reopened, while Rawalpindi schools will resume classes on August 24. According to several parents, the back-to-school rush becomes considerably more expensive when schools require complete book sets and school-branded items from specific bookshops.

Nazia, the mother of a Class 8 student at a private school in Iqbal Town, said parents had been asked to purchase complete sets even when some books were already available at home.

"Some books of my older children can easily be used again, but we are asked to buy the complete set," she said. "When you have more than one school-going child, these expenses matter."

A price comparison at Satti Book Depot found significant differences in the prices of commonly used items. Owner Israrul Haq said notebooks costing around Rs100 to Rs180 in the open market were being sold for Rs220 to Rs250 at a designated outlet, forcing parents to pay up to 150% more.

The disparity was greater for school-branded items. A file costing Rs50 to Rs80 in the market could cost more than Rs200 with a school monogram, while a homework diary priced at around Rs50 in the market was being sold for about Rs170 with a school logo.

Parents said such individual costs quickly added up when they also had to purchase pens, markers, files and other stationery, particularly for families with several school-going children.

Maryam, a parent at another private school, said families already paid substantial monthly fees, annual charges and facility fees before being asked to buy school-branded supplies.

"We have to manage the monthly fee, annual charges and then all these school-specific items," she said. "When everything is added together, it becomes a big expense for a family."