NELSPRUIT – At the beginning of the year, it’s not only Christmas expenditure that catches up with you, but the new school year brings its own financial challenges.
Most parents have been squirreling money away since last year, anticipating the rising costs of school fees and uniforms, while others had to keep a close eye on their January budget.
On Lowvelder‘s Facebook page many parents commented on the fortune they have to spend on stationery. Comments also centered around the high prices of uniforms.
To determine what the cost of sending a child to school is, Lowvelder contacted several schools.
The basic school fees at Hoërskool Nelspruit are R13 500 per year, at Hoërskool Bergvlam it’s R13 800 and for a grade- eight pupil at Penryn College it will cost R56 660. Laerskool Bergland’s school fees are R8 600 per year, Nelspruit Primary’s are R7 232 and
St Peter’s Primary School’s are R30 000 for a grade-one pupil. Each school has various extra fees as well as payment options and discounts, which has an impact on the amount parents end up paying.
Mr Gordon Lancaster, principal of Laerskool Bergland, explained that the fees are determined by the school governing body (SGB) and then approved at the general parents’ meeting by parents after it was available for perusal. The Department of Education pays the salaries of 26 teachers, supplies handbooks, some scripts and a cash amount.
According to the principal of Hoërskool Bergvlam, Ms Annemarié Kleynhans, their budget is carefully calculated by the SGB’s financial committee. They are led by the expenditure of the current year. Maintenance takes a big chunk out of the budget as it involves the grounds and all the buildings. She says that they spend a lot on the SGB’s post salaries. That of the staff members, which include teachers, office staff and general workers, is definitely the biggest expenditure.
“For the school to function effectively and the sizes of classes to remain maintainable, it is needed to appoint staff in the SGB. We also spend quite a bit on educational material and workbooks. Sport is also important,” she says.
Kleynhans says although they receive support from the Department of Education, it is not nearly enough to cater for all their needs. “It does help to fill in the gaps that we won’t get to otherwise,” she says.
After school fees are paid, your child needs to get the correct school uniform. Additionally girls need to buy the correct hair ties and boys’ hair needs to be short and neat. Parents cringe at the thought of having to buy new shirts or shoes for their growing son, while a grade one’s excitement about her first school dress makes up for the expense.
At a local retailer, an ordinary pair of black school shoes sells for R120 to R200, while white, grey or black socks are about R15 a pair. A basic outfit of a white shirt and grey shorts or a skirt will cost you R120, while one school uniform shirt is the same price at an outfitter. Jerseys, ties, sportwear and blazers, around R700, all add up to a large amount.
The school bag and stationery come next.
Some schools do not supply stationary, which means parents need to cough up for pens, pencils, exercise books and files. Stationery shops are usually packed with bickering parents and children for the two weeks leading up to the first school day.
If you fill a basket with basic stationery like pens, pencils, glue and scissors, as well as paper and plastic to cover books, it will cost you around R426.
Add a few flip files, exercise books, a scientific calculator and dictionaries and you’ll have to fork out an extra R630.
To avoid costs piling up, buy a few items at a time or when a specific item is on sale. Consider the advice of one of the more positive commenters on Lowvelder’s Facebook page – that parents should shop around for the best price. It may take a bit more time, but it will save you a lot of money.
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