Rising Cost Of Educational Materials: ITK Foundation Donates 100,000 Exercise Books To Osun Secondary School Students

By Tosin Olasunkanmi, Osogbo

The rising cost of exercise books and other educational materials is putting additional financial pressure on parents and threatening the ability of some students in Osun State to adequately equip themselves for academic activities, the Secretary of the ITK Foundation, Bashorun Adekanola Desmond, has said.

Desmond spoke against the backdrop of the distribution of 100,000 exercise books to students in 50 secondary schools across the Osogbo Federal Constituency by the ITK Foundation, established in honour of Hon. Ibrahim Taofeek Kayode.

The intervention covered secondary schools across Osogbo, Olorunda, Irepodun and Orolu Local Government Areas of the state, with the foundation saying the initiative was aimed at easing the financial burden on families and supporting students in their academic pursuits.

According to Desmond, the rising prices of basic school materials had become a concern for many families, particularly households with more than one child in school.

He explained that the foundation decided to intervene by providing exercise books to students across the constituency, stressing that access to basic learning materials was essential to effective participation in classroom activities.

“Education is the bedrock of every society, and in any society where education is not prioritised, such society is likely to face challenges that will have a very great negative impact,” Desmond said.

He added that the foundation deliberately extended the programme to all 50 secondary schools within the constituency to ensure that students across the four local government areas benefited from the intervention.

Desmond said the initiative was not only about distributing exercise books but also about encouraging students to remain committed to their education despite the economic difficulties confronting many families.

At Osogbo Grammar School, the Coordinating Principal, Olori Abimbola Kikelomo Agboola, commended Kayode for the initiative, saying the donation would reduce part of the financial responsibilities confronting parents.

“It’s not just a book that he distributed; he’s giving them hope, and it will go a long way to relieve the parents, considering the economic situation of the country,” she said.

Agboola urged parents to work closely with teachers in raising their children, while advising the students to remain focused on their studies, shun drug abuse and juvenile delinquency, and embrace hard work and discipline.

The Senior Boy of the school, Bello Roqeeb, expressed appreciation for the intervention and pledged that the beneficiaries would make responsible use of the materials provided by the foundation.

Similarly, the Head Girl, Alaka Precious, thanked the foundation for the gesture and prayed for the continued success of the initiative.

At Fakunle Comprehensive High School, the Senior Boy, Olukunle Samuel Ayokunle, said the rising cost of exercise books had made it increasingly difficult for some students to obtain enough writing materials for their studies.

He said the donation would help ease the burden on students and enable them to participate more effectively in classroom activities.