Amid the rising cost of books and the urge to educate their children, parents struggle to adapt to the new economic realities, writes UTHMAN SALAM
A 33-year-old woman from Ijebu Igbo in Ogun State, Mrs Pelade Sholaja, experienced a devastating end to her engagement in 2021. Before this, she and her estranged fiancé shared the responsibility of raising their two-year-old daughter. However, much like a cobra that abandons its mate to care for its offspring, her fiancé disappeared, leaving the entire burden of their daughter’s education on Sholaja’s shoulders.
In a candid interview, the single mother, now raising a five-year-old, narrated the gruelling and unrelenting challenges she faces in providing for her child’s education amidst rising costs, highlighting that the escalating prices of textbooks and school fees have become a major source of distress for parents. She noted that the cost of educational materials has significantly increased in the past two years.
“The books are usually sold as a bundle, depending on the child’s class. For instance, textbooks for primary two pupils that were priced at N15,000 two years ago are now sold at N25,000. Even school uniforms have become more expensive,” she lamented.
This account mirrors the experiences shared by numerous other parents, educationists, and booksellers. Further investigation by this writer revealed that some schools, particularly privately-owned institutions, mandate parents to purchase books directly from them, as publishers often bypass selling to parents, opting instead to deal exclusively with schools or teachers.
Economic hardship
The cost of goods and services have soared since the beginning of the Bola Tinubu administration in 2023. Economists have attributed this economic strain to two key government policies: the floating of the naira and the removal of petrol subsidy.
A 2024 World Bank report estimates that, as of 2023, Nigeria’s poverty rate stood at 38.9 per cent, with approximately 87 million people living below the poverty line, making it the second-poorest nation globally after India.
This alarming statistic has pushed struggling Nigerian parents to the brink, as their ability to manage the escalating costs of their children’s education diminishes with each passing year.
The United Nations Children’s Fund, in its 2024 report revealed that approximately 10.5 million Nigerian children, aged 5-14 years, are out of school. Furthermore, only 61 per cent of children aged 6-11 years are said to regularly attend primary school, and a mere 35.6 per cent of children aged 36-59 months receive early childhood education, despite government’s official stance that primary and secondary education is free.
Government sympathisers have consistently argued that the two policies are economically necessary, claiming that state and local governments now have increased funds to address the needs of their populations. However, many argue that this has yet to translate into any meaningful improvement in the well-being of citizens, particularly in meeting the basic educational needs of Nigerian children.
Rising costs of books, other materials
The founder of Images EtCetera, a publishing firm based in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Ridwan Agbaje, explained that the rising costs of textbooks stem from the increasing expenses of production materials.
He noted that the machine and equipment they use for printing books were largely imported, including some of the materials used, especially ink, saying “The cost of printing is the major problem. The cost of materials largely determines the price of our services. The paper price has tripled. The ink too is on the high side.
“For example, in December last year, we purchased paper at N35,000. Today, that same paper costs N90,000, and this does not include the expenses for ink or staff salaries. We still bought the papers at N42,000 between January and February 2024.”
When asked about the rising cost of paper, he explained that although paper is produced in Nigeria, a significant portion of the equipment and materials required for its production are imported, which has driven up prices.
“Remember, the companies manufacturing paper also rely on machinery and materials, many of which are imported,” Agbaje added.
Findings revealed that the rising production costs faced by publishing firms have had a ripple effect on textbook prices, making it increasingly difficult for parents to afford their children’s education under the current economic conditions.
Policy change causes parents to run into debt
In the past, textbooks used by students, particularly in primary and secondary schools, could be passed down to siblings. This practice helped parents avoid the additional expense of buying new textbooks for their younger children.
Unfortunately, this correspondent’s findings revealed that this practice has been abandoned by the authorities due to the proliferation of publishing firms and the emergence of numerous new authors.
To understand the rationale behind the frequent changes to approved textbooks for primary and secondary school students, this correspondent attempted to reach the spokesperson for the Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mr Kayode Sutton. However, his phone went unanswered, and a text message sent to him had not received a response by the time this report was filed.
In Edo State, despite the financial strain textbooks are placing on parents, Governor Monday Okpebholo accused former Governor Godwin Obaseki of failing to distribute books donated to the state by President Bola Tinubu. The reason, he claimed, was that the President’s face was printed on the books.
This revelation came to light during the governor’s supervision of the distribution of notebooks, textbooks, and other educational materials in Benin City, the state capital recently.
“These books you see here were donated by the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, for Edo children to use, but the immediate past administration did not distribute them to our children because the President’s face is printed on the books.
“I want to thank the President for his kind gesture, and for me, the action of the former administration is an act of wickedness. This warehouse is filled with books donated by the President, but because of the wickedness, the immediate past governor prevented the books from being distributed to the children. Today, we are here to distribute the books to our children,” the governor alleged.
This highlights that the challenges students face in accessing books and other educational materials are not confined to private schools alone, but also affect public schools.
Meanwhile, amid the end of the hand-me-down books, booksellers shared with this correspondent that competition among publishing firms and authors may be key factors driving the government’s frequent changes to the school curriculum and the recommended textbooks.
A bookstore owner in Lagos, who identified herself as Mrs Adekoya, remarked, “We don’t truly understand the pain parents face. We are just the middlemen, providing whatever the parents need. Everything is dictated by the government, as they set the curriculum and the materials used in schools.
“For example, in the past, literature books were written by fewer authors, whereas now there are many more authors. If a particular literature book was used for five years, new books would eventually be introduced.”
Another bookseller, Mrs. Oluwatosin Folahan, observed that the education sector functions as an ecosystem, where any change in one part of the system impacts all other components.
Folahan believed that parents are not the only ones bearing the brunt of the rising cost of books; booksellers, as middlemen, are also facing similar challenges.
She stated, “As middlemen, we also suffer the consequences. If we have stock and the government introduces a new curriculum, no one will purchase the old books. They simply end up unsold, causing us significant financial losses.
“The parents are truly struggling. I didn’t even know they could afford to buy books given the current economic climate. This constant change in schemes is impacting everyone. The root cause of these frequent changes can also be traced to the intense competition among publishing firms.
“They believe that no single publishing house should dominate the opportunities to have their books approved for use in schools. In the past, we only sold books from Longman and Evans, but now there are countless publishers, all promoting their products. This is the reality of being self-employed.”
The constant changes in the curriculum and the introduction of new books have created a heavy financial burden and significant hardship for pupils from less privileged backgrounds. As a result, many parents are falling into debt and are forced to move their children to government-owned schools.
Mrs Daniella Ogunmuyiwa, whose husband has been unemployed for the past three years due to illness, explained that her family had moved their two daughters from private schools to a public school because they could no longer afford the bills.
“We are compelled to buy books in their former schools. And you need to pay them along with the school fees. We cannot buy the books outside unless we get them from the school. It didn’t matter whether you have the same old books.
“The parents should be considered in this circumstance. There should be a policy that will allow parents who have more than one kid in a school to share the books used by their elder siblings, especially the basics.
“For instance, if I had a child at a school, be it private or public, whatever the books the child used in a class, his siblings should be allowed to use them so long they are within the same class of study,” Ogunmuyiwa explained.
Education or exploitation?
Parents and booksellers who spoke to this correspondent expressed concern that some schools and publishers no longer view education as a service. Instead, they accused them of treating the sector more as a business, prioritising profit over the true purpose of educating children.
While some schools allow the practice of passing down textbooks among siblings and students, a retired woman from Abeokuta, Mrs. Rahman Àjàyí, highlighted that other schools are intent on exploiting parents by requiring revised editions.
She said, “They introduce revised editions, even for books by authors who no longer write. Often, the only change in these revised editions is the colour of the cover. When booksellers inform parents that the content is the same, they often insist on purchasing the revised edition, even though it typically comes at a higher price.
“Furthermore, it is not the parents’ fault; rather, it is often because the children insist on having the same books as their friends at school. Both the schools and the publishers are well aware of this.”
She explained that students’ workbooks and textbooks are a financial burden on parents, stating, “Once pupils use a particular workbook, no other student can use it again. This happens every term.” She also mentioned that some publishers only sell workbooks when purchased alongside the textbooks.
“This means that if your child has just been promoted to a new class, and your younger child is moving into the class previously occupied by their older sibling, they won’t be able to use the textbook unless they also have the corresponding workbook. Since some publishers do not sell workbooks separately, you will be forced to buy a new one,” she added.
A father of two, Balogun Akintayo, said, “We understand the need to profit from the business, but the focus on making money should not come at the expense of the primary goal of educating the students.”
“Books have become extremely expensive. For example, the mathematics textbook that was sold for N1,900 five years ago is now priced at N4,800.”
Parents struggle to adapt
Speaking about how she has been adapting to the rising cost of living while meeting her child’s educational needs, Sholaja, who has been solely responsible for her child’s education since being abandoned by the father, said she has now adjusted her expenses to accommodate her child’s schooling costs.
She said, “What I currently do to survive is that I cut my coat according to my coat. First, the things she eats before such as snacks and biscuits have been reduced. The light morning breakfast she eats before has been removed totally so that I can meet up with the cost of her education.
“You can’t reduce those costs. Other school activities require fees, and your child must participate in them. You have no control over that. The only thing I could do was cut costs on my expenses.
“The school I currently work with allows parents to purchase books from outside if they prefer. However, some of the books, are only available through the school, leaving parents with no choice but to buy them directly from there.”
“Fortunately, my daughter attends the same schools where I work, and as an employee, there is a discount offered to parents. However, purchasing textbooks is mandatory.
“To cut down the cost, what most parents do is to beg parents whose children have left the school for their uniform,” a private school teacher who feared being mentioned may affect her job said.
She added, “Keep in mind that the price also depends on the child’s body size and height, as the uniforms vary by class. For instance, one uniform that was sold for N15,000 last year is now priced at N25,000.”
Oluyomi John, an educationist who assists parents with enrolling their children for the Basic Education Certificate Examination, stated that many of the books recommended by the Lagos State Government have now been abandoned by parents due to their rising costs.
He said, “Things have gotten more expensive. The BECE always requires students to purchase different books, and every time I go to the market to inquire about their prices, the sellers always complain that the costs have gone up.
“They complain that publishers often cite the rising cost of paper as the reason for the price increase. For the past three years, the price of books has never decreased.
“I remember last year, I used to buy a regular novella for N300, but now it costs N1000, and even more at some bookstores. This is a significant increase, especially when you consider that students need several of these books for their exams. The same applies to notebooks, particularly the long-ruled ones.
“It has become challenging for parents to afford these books. They often have to ignore the recommended textbooks because they can no longer afford them. In the past, they would purchase almost all the textbooks listed.”
He mentioned that parents are now left with no choice but to withdraw their children from schools they can no longer afford while praising some schools in Lagos State for not raising their fees despite the challenging economic conditions.
“Some parents in my area are forced to withdraw their children from schools they can no longer afford and enrol them in more affordable ones. Surprisingly, some parents who live on the island are now bringing their children to schools on the mainland. For example, we’ve noticed this trend at the school where I teach in Surulere.
“I am truly grateful that my child’s school has not raised its fees despite the challenging economic conditions. The management has shown great understanding of the parents’ struggles, and we appreciate them for this,” John added.
Parents and education experts have warned that if urgent steps are not taken to support those already struggling with poverty in managing the rising costs of primary and secondary school education, the alarming number of out-of-school children could triple. (Punch)
