By Evans Worlanyo Ameamu, GNA
Keta (V/R), Sept. 5, GNA – The demand for school uniforms, textbooks, stationery and other educational materials has surged sharply in Keta and the surrounding communities as the new academic year begins.
Shop owners and vendors have also reported brisk activity even as many parents struggle with limited financial resources to meet the rising demand.
A tour of the Keta market and its environs by the Ghana News Agency, revealed that parents and guardians were busy at shops to buy school uniforms, exercise books, textbooks, bags, and other essential learning materials, as pupils and students prepare to resume classes for the new academic calendar.
Ms Deladem Rejoice Awudi, a trader who spoke to the GNA, said the surge in demand has been evident with many parents making last-minute purchases for their wards.
“As you can see, we are having our daily routines, however, despite the high demand, sales have not necessarily translated into equally high revenue, many customers are buying in smaller quantities while others are opting for cheaper alternatives due to limited cash at hand,” she said.
Ms Awudi described the current period as one of mixed fortunes, explaining that while more people are coming into their shops seeking for school items compared to last academic term, the actual volume of purchases per customer has reduced significantly, which many have attributed to the tight financial circumstances many households were grappling with at the start of the term.
Madam Juliana Adibo, a parent, lamented about the difficulty of meeting the financial demands that come with the beginning of a new academic year.
She said the cumulative cost of uniforms, footwear, textbooks, exercise books and other requirements were overwhelming, particularly for households with multiple children in school at the same time.
“We have no choice but to prioritise essential items over others and purchase only the most critical materials such as uniforms, exercise books and core textbooks, we need to raise money and buy other additional items later. We resorted to buying used or second-hand items, particularly uniforms and bags, as a cost-saving measure.”
They also expressed concern that the financial strain associated with the start of the academic year could affect school attendance and readiness among some pupils, especially those from low-income households, if measures are not put in place to ease the burden on struggling parents.
Some residents have called on the government and relevant stakeholders to consider interventions that could cushion parents during the period, to ensure that the high demand for school materials does not translate into children being kept out of school due to the inability of parents to afford basic requirements.
Traders and parents alike within Keta remained hopeful that the current cash constraints would ease in the coming weeks which would allow families to fully meet the educational needs of their children to enable businesses supply the necessary schools items on cheaper prices to improved and balance sales for the rest of the term.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Kenneth Odeng Adade