Students prepare for school

By JACKLYN SIRIAS
THOUSANDS of children are in the back-to-school mood and preparing themselves for the new academic year which begins on Jan 30.
Shops are offering competitive prices for stationery and books as parents and students begin to get themselves ready for the start of school.
The National visited three shops in Port Moresby this week to compare the prices offered on exercise books. They are Tango at Four-Mile, Seeto Kui and Theodist in Waigani Central.
“The prices of our exercise books range from as low as K0.90 for 32 pages, K1.20 for 64 pages, K1.50 for 96 pages and K1.80 for 128 pages,” Tango retail manager Cristine Manalili said.
She said they had in stock a good supply of items including exercise books to cater for the 220 schools in and outside the city.
Manalili said the shop was usually busy at this time as students and parents tried to complete their shopping for uniforms, bags and shoes well before the start of school.
Seeto Kui was selling exercise books for K0.45 (32 pages), K0.61 (48 pages), K0.65 (64 pages), K0.85 (96 pages) and K1.25 (128 pages).
Theodist’s prices are K0.44 for 32 pages, K0.55 for 48 pages, K0.77 for 64 pages, and K0.99 for 96 pages, K1.32 for 128 pages and K1.98 for 160 pages.
Theodist Sales and Marketing Manager Kevin Anderson said the most sought-after exercise book was the 64-page one.
He said the prices were set according to the schools’ affordability but would remain the same for the whole year.