High Prices: Up to 150 euros for a rookie's purse

There are crowds in many Kosovo bookstores, where the new school year begins on September 1st.

Some have even prolonged work hours and have increased the number of workers to meet consumer demands.

Ardiana Thaci says she has secured nearly all supplies for her son who starts fifth grade.

I bought most books at a price of 63 euros. Two human and nature books have been missing. I have also purchased notebooks, tires, pencils, bags, and other necessary materials, which have cost about 65 euros”, Ardiana tells Radio Free Europe.

In total, she expects to spend up to 150 euros on her primary purse ʹ depending on what teachers require after the learning process begins.

Book supply in libraries is a new practice in Kosovo at least in the last 15 years.

The Ministry of Education has distributed books for primary school students free of charge since 2008.

But this year, at the decision of Minister Arberie Nagavci, textbooks should be purchased by the students' own parents, with remourage.

The Government of Kosovo online platform, E-Kosovo, where parents could apply for cash insurance, opened on August 25th exactly one week before the launch of the new school year.

The education ministry has earmarked between 80 euros for students from the first grade to the fifth, and from 30 euros for those from the sixth to the ninth, after the last are provided from last year.

How has the application in e-Kosovo gone?

Ardiana says she applied for e-Kosovo reimbursement on August 25th, but until August 30th, when the REL spoke to her she did not receive the money.

The education ministry did not answer REL questions about the course of this process, but in a communiqué for the media it has said <x0m> networks are expected to be deposited before September 1st”.

In another announcement, this minister has said that from August 25th to August 30th, more than 92,000 parents or children's caregivers have applied for remuneration.

From the government, they have announced that they have allocated about 13m euros for subsidisation of books and materials needed for school.

In a survey that has published Radio Free Europe on its website, most participants have assessed as the appropriate “ ” the Education Ministry's decision to split book subsidies.

But, at the Kosovo Parents' Council, confirm for REL that many parents have expressed complaints about the inability to provide books without sharing tools.
Similar concerns have been noted by the reactions of some citizens on social networks.

In the “set-up” on Facebook, which has over 51,000 followers, one of them wrote:

“... don't you know when the student book money comes out? I've got three kids and I can't buy”.

In Kosovo, the average salary is around 520 euros, while the minimum is drawn from 130 to 170 euros.

Over 22,000 families are already in social assistance.

Librarys Flooded by Shopkeepers

Several library representatives he talked to REL, they said they have enough books.

Youth Berisha, sales manager at the “Renaissance” in Ferizaj, said that because of the large flow of buyers, he has increased the number of workers and extended the working schedule.

“The interest is enormous, many parents are buying books, even though they are not subsidised by the ministry”, he said.

The price of textbooks for primary and fifth classroom students is conducted from 40 to 70 euros depending on class and publishing houses.

Blerim Muhhaxhiri, from the Public House “Dukagini”, told Radio Free Europe that this publisher is prepared to cover all requests for textbooks.

Why didn't the Ministry of Education make supplies this year?

Education Minister Arberie Nagavci has said that the institution she runs has failed to reach agreements with publishing houses for the supply of book schools, for the fact that, according to her, publishing houses have offered prices far higher than those they place in their libraries.

However, this has been denied by representatives of some publishers. Those of “Dukagin” have said the offer they made in the ministry has been for about 4% cheaper this year than last year.

From the Public Home “Albas” have also said that the prices of textbooks in bookstores are the same as those offered to the Ministry of Education.

These developments have prompted the response of several opposition parties, which have demanded the resignation of Minister Nagavci because, as it has been said, disabilities in managing the education system.

The number of students from first grade to ninth in Kosovo is expected to be around 213,000, as long as it was in the 2022/2023 school year.

In that school year, the learning process has started with a month's delay because of a salary teacher strike. / REL