Across Nigeria today, one of the silent burdens crushing parents is the compulsory purchase of textbooks for their children every academic session. Many schools, both public and private, insist that pupils and students must buy brand-new books, regardless of whether older editions are still useful. This exploitative practice has become a source of financial hardship for families already struggling with tuition and other school levies.
The troubling reality is that parents are often left with no choice. School authorities present the purchase of new textbooks as mandatory, with threats that children will be denied participation in classwork if they do not comply. This unfair policy turns education into a profit-driven venture rather than a service aimed at nurturing the future of young Nigerians.
Even more alarming is the manner in which these textbooks are used. Students are instructed to write notes, assignments, and even test answers directly into the books. Once written on, these textbooks lose their resale or reuse value, preventing younger siblings or other students from benefiting from them in subsequent sessions. This deliberate wastage only serves the interest of book vendors and schools who profit from repeat sales.
For parents, the cost implication is staggering. In many schools today, the price of compulsory textbooks equals or even surpasses the actual tuition fees. For families with two or more children in school, the financial strain is unbearable. Sadly, this is happening in a country where millions are already battling economic hardship, unemployment, and high inflation.
The government cannot afford to fold its arms while Nigerian parents are subjected to this exploitation. The Ministry of Education and relevant regulatory bodies must step in to put an end to the mandatory purchase of new textbooks every session. Policies should be introduced to encourage reusability, ensuring that students write in exercise books instead of defacing expensive textbooks.
Beyond regulation, schools themselves have a moral responsibility to ease the burden on parents. Establishing book banks or school libraries where students can borrow textbooks for the academic year is a workable solution. This system has been successfully adopted in other countries, and there is no reason Nigeria cannot follow suit.
Parents, too, must rise above silence. Through strong parent-teacher associations, they can collectively resist exploitative policies and demand more transparency from school administrators. A united front is the only way to push back against a practice that has been normalized at the expense of families.
Technology also offers a modern alternative. Schools can gradually embrace e-learning platforms where textbooks are provided in digital format at a fraction of the cost. Such an approach not only saves parents money but also prepares students for a future driven by technology and digital knowledge.
The truth is simple: education should be a right, not a financial trap. Forcing parents to buy new textbooks every session is unjust, exploitative, and contrary to the principle of equal access to education. If nothing is done, many children from less privileged backgrounds will continue to drop out, widening the gap between the rich and the poor in our society.
It is time to draw the line. Nigerian parents deserve relief from this textbook exploitation, and students deserve an education system built on fairness, sustainability, and accountability. The government, schools, and parents must work together to stop this practice before it destroys the very foundation of learning in our country.
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