Parents Cry Out Over Rising Textbook Prices

The start of a new school term is usually filled with excitement. Children return in clean uniforms, bags strapped on their backs, ready to see friends and teachers again. But this year, for many families across Nigeria, the sound of school bells has been drowned out by the heavy sighs of parents struggling to keep up with the cost of textbooks. What used to be a once-in-a-session expense has now become a recurring financial battle, with schools insisting on brand-new books every term.

In the past, siblings often passed books down to one another. A younger child could use the same Mathematics or English book an older brother or sister once used. That tradition not only saved families money but also reduced waste. Today, however, many textbooks are designed with workbooks inside, making them unusable for anyone else once written in. Parents now face the reality of buying entire sets of books every term, sometimes spending more than tuition itself.

For parents like Yemisi Babatunde from Dopemu, Lagos, the situation feels unbearable. She explained that the book list for her daughter in JSS2 cost about N70,000, while her younger son’s list was another N40,000. This doesn’t include tuition, uniforms, or other fees. “In my days, we reused textbooks. Now, it’s one child to one textbook. It is draining us,” she said, adding that the stress sometimes makes her avoid visiting her children’s school altogether.

Her frustration is shared by many. In Agege, another parent, Yemi Solaja, noted that while tuition fees have remained the same in her son’s school, the real weight comes from textbooks. “Every term the list grows more expensive. Schools tell us it’s because of workbooks, but it only leaves us with more bills,” she said. Like Babatunde, she misses the old practice of handing down books, calling the disappearance of that tradition both sad and exploitative.

For some parents, the issue goes beyond money and into mental health. Constantly receiving book lists filled with rising prices creates anxiety. Families who were already struggling to pay school fees now face the added stress of buying textbooks that could easily consume their entire budget. Some parents have started recycling uniforms or dipping into savings just to keep their children adequately prepared for school.

Across different states, the story is the same. In Ikeja, Kudirat Hassan revealed she had already spent over N120,000 on textbooks for just two children. In Ibadan, Mayowa Oladele explained that private schools often source books from publishers with limited reach, making them more expensive. Others, like Bukola Adebayo, complained that schools inflate prices on everything from books to uniforms, describing the trend as unfair exploitation.

Not all parents, however, feel the same. Businesswoman Folake Adeoye admitted that while the costs are high, she had prepared ahead and prioritised her children’s education. For her, careful planning has helped ease the sting, though she still acknowledged that many families don’t have that luxury.

Governments in some states have tried to step in. Imo State, for example, recently banned schools from changing textbooks annually, insisting that titles remain in use for at least four years. Abia State also introduced rules separating textbooks from workbooks, allowing parents to reuse textbooks across siblings while replacing only the consumable workbooks. Both moves have been praised as practical ways to ease costs and restore some stability.

Yet the problem runs deeper than just school policies. Piracy in the book industry has worsened the crisis. A principal in Lagos admitted that pirated copies of popular books flood the markets, undermining publishers and making legitimate copies more expensive. He explained that while public schools benefit from large-scale printing that lowers costs, private schools only print in smaller quantities, which keeps prices high.

Private school owners argue that they are not insensitive to parents’ struggles but also cannot operate at a loss. A proprietress in Lagos stressed that schools are businesses too, and like every other sector, they are hit by inflation, higher supplier costs, and rising expenses. Another school owner, Busola Wusu, pointed out that the price of paper has skyrocketed, forcing publishers to increase prices. She added that many teachers are demanding higher salaries to cope with the cost of living, which pushes schools to raise fees to attract and retain qualified staff.

Parent associations and education advocates, however, continue to push back. The National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria called on the government to enforce longer textbook lifespans and discourage exploitative practices. Senior lawyer Monday Ubani also condemned the frequent textbook changes, describing them as deliberate attempts to exploit parents. “When we were in school, books were handed down. Now it’s all about profit,” he said.

The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools acknowledged inflation and piracy as key factors but also called for government intervention. Its president, Yomi Otubela, suggested that the government should bulk-purchase textbooks from publishers and distribute them to schools, either free or at subsidised rates. He also urged the revival of paper mills to reduce production costs.

Digital textbooks are slowly entering the conversation, with publishers introducing e-books. But most parents see them as impractical because they require devices like tablets or laptops, which come with their own costs and risks.

At the heart of it all is the struggle between ensuring children receive quality education and the reality of an economy where household incomes are stretched thin. For many parents, textbooks have shifted from being learning tools to symbols of financial hardship. Until more states adopt reforms like those in Imo and Abia, and until stronger policies address piracy, inflation, and exploitative practices, the cry of parents may only grow louder each school term.