Costs and concerns of back-to-school 2021

© tadamichi – 123RF.com

The survey, carried out in December 2020, was taken by more than 1,200 South Africans – and covered questions around concerns and hidden costs of the ‘back to school’ period for parents. 67% of parents said they were concerned about finding the funds for stationery and other school supplies, while 56% were concerned about mentally preparing their children to return to school.

“Sending children to school is certainly a priority for most parents in South Africa – however, it is also a huge source of financial strain. This strain is exacerbated in 2021, following the tough economic times the country faced in 2020. Beyond uniforms and stationery, parents are having to cover costs around technology, after-care, and extramurals – for example – which makes it that much more important that they are able to purchase quality school supplies at unbeatable prices,” explains Katherine Madley, vice president of marketing, Game.

When parents were asked to rank the annual costs of sending children to school (excluding school fees) from most to least expensive, the results were as follows:

• uniforms (including those for extramurals)
  
• stationery, textbooks, and course materials
  
• technology (laptops, ipads, cell phones, and data)
  
• extramural activities (sporting goods, extra lessons and school trips)
  
• food (lunches, lunchboxes and cooldrinks)

When asked what they were spending annually on each child, outside of school fees, the majority (78%) are spending less than R10,000, with 55% of that spending R5,000 or less. Only 10% are spending over R21,000. This may well decrease in 2021, as the survey found that 20% of the sample had taken a salary reduction since the beginning of lockdown, 17% were retrenched, and 11% had to close their businesses as a result of Covid-19 and lockdown.