Back to School Costs More Expensive

She had invested Rs 6,000 last year to equip his daughter well for the autumn. This time, said Jayne Kanthan, this amount was " far exceeded ". For most parents, at the beginning of each year, for the school year, the family budget explodes. Especially as every year, spending increases.

Kanthan Jayne says his daughter Moira is in Std III in primary school De La Salle RCA And she had to buy "sneakers, uniforms, sports clothing, book and other school effects" . We must add to this "school transport, which requires advance payments" . For the scholarship it is not too gray mine, Jayne Kanthan was a trick. "Like every year, my year-end bonus was set aside for incurring such expenditure."

Ditto for Florine Diana, mother of three children. "Budget Christmas, rather than focus exclusively on toys, it is now used to amortize the costs of school effects. And, even though it is grinning toddlers " , she said. The admission of his son in Std I to school Bon Secours requires considerable budget, she argues. "He must be wearing during the year printed logo uniforms this school teaches. So we need to provide the purchase shirts at Rs 130 unit, shorts at a cost of Rs 150 per unit and even printed Rs 35 pair "socks , she advance. And if the books are free for children, fees for individual folders and copy control come into play for a sum of Rs 300 for the year. Not to mention the contribution to the Parent Teacher Association , which appears at Rs 300 per year. These are expenses that are accumulated small weight in the balance, she said.

The costs are even more substantial for those parents who have decided to enroll their children in a private school. According to Andrea Rendon, whose son Santiago was enrolled in a private preschool, expenses incurred amounted to Rs 17,000 last year. However, this year, this amount should be reduced because it has opted for a less expensive private school.

With the inclusion of his daughter Molly Std I to Hampstead (school based on an English system) at Pamplemousses, Josiane Pierre expenses will weigh heavily in his monthly budget."We have already paid Rs 29,800 for filing, registration fees and school supplies, among others, " says the young mother. These costs, she adds, however exclude other expenses for uniforms or binders, she adds. And that's not all: we must still find Rs 4,000 every month to pay school fees and Rs 1,600 for transport.

However, if spending on primary are heavy, they are more for the secondary. The budget should indeed exceed Rs 10,000 per child. Particularly because the price of books, which are more and more expensive. "Just for the purchase of books for my daughter who is in Form IV, I had to pay Rs 3000 and there are still books to buy . And this does not include uniforms, polo shirts with the school logo and shoes, " said a relative encountered Book Bonanza shop.

As for private lessons, today they are around Rs 1,000 per subject, if not more. Besides, in January, it must pay a "lead", which doubles the amount to find, say the parents.

And this year, it will cost more for school uniforms. Between 5% and 10%. Especially because of the rising costs of raw materials. In Petronic, specialist uniform Jummah Mosque Street, Port-Louis, the manager has maintained its prices due to lower purchasing power. So you can find shirts that start at Rs 105 or tunics from Rs 330. According to the store manager, most parents buy cash. "We note that there is an awareness of Mauritius compared to the savings. Most parents put money aside " , she notes.