Private School in Istanbul Faces Backlash Over ₺120K Supply List for 5th Graders

A private school in Istanbul has come under fire from parents after assigning astronomical prices to books and stationery for 5th grade students, with the total cost of the prepared shopping basket initially reaching ₺120,000.

The most striking price tag was for a mathematics textbook listed at ₺48,000 (later cited as ₺43,000), a Turkish textbook priced at ₺4,000, and a religious culture book at ₺3,000. A simple drawing notebook carried a price of ₺1,700.

Following parent complaints, the school claimed it was a “misunderstanding” and reduced the total basket price to around ₺79,000, without changing the actual items.

Beyond these supply costs, sending a 5th grade student to this school—excluding books, stationery, and uniforms—can cost parents an average of ₺1 million per year.

According to a report by NTV, education expert Nazik Kösegil stressed that selling books in schools is currently illegal in Türkiye and that textbooks provided by the Ministry of National Education (MEB) are distributed free of charge. Kösegil added that private schools, restricted in how much they can raise tuition, often transfer additional expenses to parents through charges for books, meals, and transportation.

The 2025–2026 academic year will begin on Monday, September 8 for the first term.