High cost of school supplies a burden to parents, says Sabah Warisan

SABAH opposition party Warisan has called on the government to organise a Rahmah Sale for school supplies ahead of the upcoming school session on Monday. 

Its youth movement information chief Izzatul Aini said the initiative will help alleviate the financial burden of parents coping with the escalating costs of school supplies. 

"Today, I accompanied several students to purchase school supplies for the upcoming session on Monday. Based on my observations and feedback, the issue of rising prices is impacting various school essentials, including uniforms, bags, exercise books, and more," she said after bringing several primary and secondary school students for some school supply shopping in Kota Kinabalu, today. 

Aini highlighted specific cost increases, noting that shoe prices have surged by approximately RM10 per pair, while bags will cost around RM60 each, and traditional exercise books have been replaced by more costly ledger-sized alternatives for certain subjects in schools.

"Overall, the costs of many supplies have risen, including essential gadgets like calculators required for secondary school students," she added.

Aini said the government must intervene by organising a "Rahmah Sale" for school supplies while pointing out the financial constraints faced, especially for Muslim parents who are also saving up for the upcoming fasting period and Hari Raya celebrations. 

She also drew concerns about the insufficient amount of Bantuan Awal Persekolahan, saying the RM150 aid falls short of covering all school fees, particularly for secondary school students. 

Aini also called on the Sabah government to instruct its private subsidiary Koperasi Serbaguna Sanya Bhd (KOSAN), to ensure quality and sufficient uniforms for school children. 

KOSAN is a cooperative under the Sabah’s Youth and Sports Ministry, which provides school uniforms and previously school shoes. 

She said the distribution of uniforms by the cooperative only benefitted two-thirds of students statewide and that many of them also come with subpar quality and ill-fitting sizes. 

"The provision of school uniform aid relies on contributions from taxpayers and duties in this State, especially with the Service Sales Tax (SST) raised to 8%. 

“Therefore, all stakeholders must ensure that Sabah's children receive quality school uniform assistance for their comfort during learning sessions," she said. - The Vibes, March 9, 2024