The Plateau State House of Assembly has called for an end to compulsory yearly purchase of new textbooks imposed on parents by many primary and secondary schools in the state.
The lawmakers’ resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Mr Joseph Bukar (APC/Shendam), who moved a motion during plenary on Tuesday in Jos.
According to Bukar, the practice imposed on parents by many schools was a rip-off for many struggling families.
He said that the imposition largely denied children of low-income parents access to education, as they would not keep up with the pace of the ever-rising costs.
The lawmaker added that the current practice compelled parents to buy new textbooks for their children at the beginning of every academic session, including those they bought the previous years for older children that could be reused by younger ones.
He described the policy as a financial strain on families already facing economic challenges.
The lawmaker proposed that parents who had older children with such textbooks hand down the same to their younger siblings and also allow parents to purchase textbooks from other sources outside the school.
Bukar further called for the introduction of a four-year textbook cycle to ensure that approved books remained in use for at least four academic sessions.
He also called for the establishment of book banks and exchange programmes through Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs).
The lawmaker called on the state to partner with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to enforce compliance and sanction defaulting schools.
He stressed that the steps would help reduce costs for parents, promote responsible consumption, and prevent disruption of pupils’ education.
“Plateau parents are not asking for luxury, but for justice, fairness and relief by adopting a clear and sustainable textbook policy.”
The government needs to consider reducing this financial strain on parents by protecting them from this exploitative practice.” He said. (NAN)
