Customised school notebooks is novelty in private schools, both primary and secondary, that is entrenched in Nigerian schools.

It is a welcome and good innovation as it creates an identity for the school and the pupils, helps in advertising the schools (speaks where no one would) and is also a source of revenue for the schools.

However, over the years, it has become a means of extortion because of greed. Or how do you explain schools selling a notebook between 100 and 200 naira (in Ibadan)? Amounts that would buy between 2 to 5 of the same notebooks in the market. Add that to the fact that many of these school notebooks cannot compete with the ones from the markets in quality, both in and out. Its no exaggeration.

More annoying is the fact that pupils are FORCED, instead of being encouraged, to buy from school. Or what would you term the verbal harrassments meted out to pupils to buy school notebooks? Some teachers (in my son's school) would threaten to cane or not mark work not written in school notebooks.

I had to play cool since its his first session in the school but I am ready to tackle them next time. I wont bother about other parents since most are ready to accept anything even though they complain behind.

It should be my choice.

This is another level of corruption that should be resisted.

Let me not forget to mention that there are schools that price their notebooks moderately. And they are of good qualities.