Pune: Parents across the region have begun shopping for notebooks, textbooks, uniforms, shoes, school bags and other essential supplies for the new academic year. However, the excitement of a new school term has been overshadowed by a sharp rise in the cost of educational materials, with prices increasing by 20-30% compared to the last year.Parents visiting local markets said a significant financial burden as the cost of school essentials had surged. According to traders, rising prices of paper and other raw materials, coupled with increased transportation, printing and manufacturing expenses, had pushed up the cost of educational products this year.A comparison of average spending per student shows a substantial increase. Expenses on books and notebooks, which ranged between Rs 2,500 and Rs 4,500 in 2025, are now Rs 3,000-Rs 5,500. Uniform costs are up from Rs 1,500-Rs 3,000 to Rs 2,000-Rs 4,000, while shoes now cost between Rs 800 and Rs 2,000 compared to Rs 600-Rs 1,500 last year. The combined cost of school bags, lunch boxes and water bottles has nearly doubled in some cases, rising from Rs 1,500-Rs 3,000 to Rs 2,500-Rs 5,000.“Last year, I spent around Rs 7,000 on my son’s school requirements. This year, the bill has crossed Rs 10,000 even before transportation expenses. With school fees already increasing every year, these additional costs are putting tremendous pressure on household budgets,” parent Sunita Patil said.Another parent, Arvind Jain, said the rising prices have forced many families to cut spending elsewhere. “A notebook that cost Rs 60 or Rs 70 last year is now selling for nearly Rs 100. For families with two or three children, the expenses become difficult,” he said.Stationery shopowners attributed the increase to higher input costs. “Paper prices have gone up significantly over the past year. Transportation and printing charges have also increased. We are not making large profits, we are simply passing on the additional costs,” Mahesh Agrawal, a stationery retailer in Kalyaninagar, said.School bags, raincoats and PT shoes from branded companies have become particularly expensive this season, traders said. “Customers often complain about the prices, but manufacturers have increased rates due to higher production costs and raw material shortages,” shopkeeper Kantilal Rathi from Appa Balwant Chowk said.Parents said rising fuel prices have led to higher school bus and autorickshaw fares. Many have urged the govt to reduce GST on educational materials and take steps to control prices.
