Israeli schools are charging students tens of thousands of shekels for lockers - at the expense of the parents' pocketbooks, Israel Hayom reported.
Though schools now use some digital books, printed textbooks are still the most common type in schools, and many schools offer lockers for students to store their books and personal equipment, so as to avoid lugging it around between classes.
The use of the lockers costs money, and they are rented out each year to students. In some cases, the lockers belong to the school and were purchased by it, while in others they are placed in the school by a private company. According to students' reports, the price ranges between 100-220 shekel each year, and many times demand outstrips supply.
However, Israel Hayom reported that an investigation showed that purchasing a locker from the company which manufactures it costs between 80-180 shekel per locker, with a unit containing 12 or 16 lockers costing a one-time fee of around 3,000 shekel. Following the purchase, the lockers remain in the school permanently.
Despite this, the schools and rental companies continue renting the lockers out to students at an inflated price of up to 220 shekel each year - even after the school or company has already recouped the full amount it cost to purchase the lockers.
The income is divided between the the school's coffers and the operator, and students whose parents cannot afford to pay the fee will continue to drag their books.