Back-To-School Rush At Fever Pitch

Most towns in Cameroon, especially Yaounde, are observing a rush for school accessories as parents prepare for their children’s back-to-school.There’s euphoria and fanfare coupled with immense economic activities.

Just two weeks before the start of the new academic year, bookshops have come alive with parents and students trooping in to purchase school needs such as school bags, exercise books, drawing boards, textbooks amongst others.

As the rush intensifies, parents complain about the shortage of required text books on the official booklist and are also worried they might not be able to get these textbooks come September.

As noted by a parent in Yaounde, Awah Franklin, in the past years, "We already had 80 percent of the textbooks required in the official booklist for secondary education before the end of August, we do not understand what is happening this year but we want to believe the situation will be solved.“This late availability of the books causes a lot of inconveniences for parents because we had programmed school preparation for this month so that next month we can definitely work on something else”.

At press time, the turnout of students and parents for books was timid but hopes are high that since it’s not yet the end of the month of August, the turn out will increase. Those who cannot afford textbooks from bookshops due to the price, settle for second hand books. In this regard, students and parents usually crowd second hand booksellers.“It is never easyfor parents to prepare for back-to-school but so far, we are trying. Whatever we see we can buy now, we do so and complete the list progressively. So that by the time school commences, wemust have completed about 90 percent of our children’s needs. School bags are the most expensive.”

Tailors are also witnessing a boom in their businesses as the demand for uniforms increases. Most of them recount that with the influx of so many Anglophone students since the start of the last school year, there has been a boom in their business as they have so many customers to attend to. Some parents, however, are still to join the rush.

Despite the increase in the prices of school accessories as explained by many parents, the back to school excitement lurks in the air. Some parents however are still to join the trail.