Chennai: Private matriculation schools and parents have urged the state government to withdraw the prices hiked for textbooks by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation (TNTESC). The volume 2 textbook for class V has been increased from Rs 65 to Rs 90; similarly class VIII volume 2 has been raised from Rs 110 to Rs160. The price of Tamil textbook for CBSE class IX has doubled from Rs 70.
The class XI Maths volume 1 textbook (annual pattern), which was sold at Rs 25 would now be for sale at Rs80. T. Senthil Kumaran, a parent said he had two kids studying class VI and VIII in a private matriculation school. Until last year he spent about Rs3,000 for text books, but this year after the price increase he had to spend about Rs2,000 more.
“Already we are not able to afford the high cost of education in private schools. Now, this hike will create a dent in our annual education budget,” he said.K.R. Nandakumar, secretary of Tamil Nadu Nursery, Primary, Matriculation and Higher Secondary Schools association, said they would submit a memorandum to the school education secretary next week seeking withdrawal of the price hike. “Parents are questioning us thinking that we are selling the books at a premium price without knowing that TNTESC had effected a price increase,” he said.
