Telangana govt’s move to slash textbook prices unlikely to ease burden on families

Hyderabad: Telangana govt’s decision to reduce textbook prices by 17% in the upcoming academic year is unlikely to significantly ease the financial burden on families with children enrolled in private schools, according to Hyderabad Schools Parents’ Association (HSPA).

While welcoming the reduction, HSPA president Venkata Sainath said textbooks’ cost forms only a small part of what parents spend each academic year.

“For students in private institutions, the larger burden comes from tuition fee, special material charges, lab-related expenses and other academic costs prescribed by schools. In many cases, institutions also recommend additional study material beyond govt textbooks. Many institutions have in-house book production. So, while the price reduction is a positive step, its practical benefit for many parents will remain limited unless broader fee regulation is taken up,” he added.

The state govt has recently slashed the prices of textbooks ahead of the new academic year as part of efforts to make education more affordable for students.