Confusion over the purchase of school textbooks in Kosovo is deepening, with the Ministry of Education urging parents to wait for the final catalogue and official prices while bookstores and publishers have already begun preparing and selling textbooks for the new school year.
Parents have reportedly started purchasing textbooks despite the ministry’s warning. Sinjali contacted the “Dukagjini” bookstore, which confirmed that sales of school textbooks are scheduled to begin on August 24.
Meanwhile, publishing house “Albas” in Prishtina confirmed that it has already begun supplying bookstores with textbooks for students in grades 1 through 9.
“Following the practice and logic of previous years, we have started supplying bookstores with textbooks for grades 1–9,” the publisher said, adding that the process began earlier and is continuing so that bookstores can be stocked before the start of the school year.
The publisher also said there has already been interest from parents seeking to purchase textbooks, although demand is expected to increase as government subsidies are distributed and the new school year approaches.
Publisher says catalogue has already reached bookstores
Albas also said that its catalogue has already been distributed to bookstores and that the corresponding price is printed on the back of each book.
The statement appears to contradict the position of the Ministry of Education, which said Thursday that negotiations with publishers over textbook prices have not yet been completed.
The ministry has urged parents and legal guardians not to rush into purchasing textbooks because the final catalogue, including official prices, has not yet been published on the ministry’s website.
“After the negotiation process with the publishing houses is completed, the Ministry of Education and Science will publish the final catalogue with the prices of the textbooks and determine the amount allocated for the purchase of books for each student,” the ministry said.
It also called on bookstores and textbook sellers not to begin selling books before the procedures are completed and the ministry issues an official notice.
Parents question government handling
The ministry’s warning has triggered frustration among parents, particularly those who say they have already begun purchasing textbooks in preparation for the school year.
One parent questioned who should bear responsibility for the confusion, asking whether parents who have already bought books should be blamed or whether the state is responsible for failing to finalize the process in time.
The dispute comes as government funds intended to subsidize the purchase of school textbooks have still not been disbursed.
With bookstores already preparing to sell textbooks and publishers supplying them, while the ministry says its negotiations and official catalogue remain unfinished, parents face uncertainty over which books and prices will ultimately qualify for the government’s subsidy.
The situation has raised fresh concerns about the organization and timing of Kosovo’s annual textbook procurement and subsidy process, with the start of the new school year approaching.
