Notebooks, slippers, public transport tickets, school week – the expenses during a school year are varied. Parents pay around 2,200 euros per year to send their child to school, according to the new school costs study by the Chamber of Labour. The tensions are especially high at the beginning of the semester.
The highest costs are incurred on the top floor. This is because expensive IT equipment is often needed there. In primary schools, this is an average of 2,254 euros; in AHS primary and secondary schools, the authors of the study arrive at a value of 2,097 euros.
High school students need expensive equipment
The exact cost varies greatly. Almost all parents have to spend money on general school supplies and books – especially at the beginning of the school year, 91 percent say this, on average it is 304 euros.
Over 70 percent also spend something on subject-specific school materials and clothing (such as gymnastics equipment), with an average of 218 euros per school year. A third also invests in computer equipment, which is a particular problem for parents of secondary school students.
Tutoring also costs money; 28 percent already need paid support; the longer the child is in school, the more the tutoring costs. Depending on the school level, the expenses for excursions can also be significant. For one-day excursions, but also for school weeks or ski courses, a contribution to the costs often has to be paid.
Stress is highest at the start of school
According to the survey, 60 percent of parents say that the cost of going to school is a major financial burden for them. At this time, many people are particularly affected by the high price increase, which is not limited to school supplies. At the start of school, expenses are highest for parents of primary school children, and many expenses are incurred for the first time, especially for school-going children: the first school bag, the first pencil case, the first school supplies.
Parents, by the way, spend the least on school supplies in the winter and slightly more in February, at the start of the summer semester.
The Chamber of Labor sees the high costs as an increase in inequality between privileged and less privileged families. AK President Renate Anderl is again calling for a massive expansion of day schools and better funding for schools with particularly big challenges, the so-called hotspot schools.
AK calls for measures to combat secondary school costs
In addition, school events and help with learning difficulties should be free. For the purchase of notebooks etc., Anderl proposes to give teachers a budget with which they can purchase material for children.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
