04 September 2011
KUWAIT: With the new school year set to begin shortly, some parents have already begun back to school shopping for their kids, although a number are waiting until schools reopen in order to obtain a checklist of the necessary items from the schools themselves. Most parents are agreed on one thing, however; the price of school stationery items has increased sharply.
Even those parents who haven't yet begun shopping for their children's school items have noted the increase in prices. "We wait till the school starts when the teachers provide their special demands," Maha, a mother of three, told the Kuwait Times. "Often when we buy stuff the teachers don't accept it so we have to then buy other things. But when I was buying stuff for Eid, I passed by the stationery section and I checked the prices of some items, and noticed they're more expensive than last year.
Not only are the prices of items higher, parents say, but the quality of the goods on offer is significantly lower. "The price is triple what we used to pay a few years ago," said Um Khalid, a mother of two older children. "What's worse is that the quality of the products is very bad. The eraser for instance breaks after the first or second use, and I can't find the good quality brands which were available in the past.
I think it's worth it to invest in quality as it will last for many years as my son's bag. The problem is that the kids don't like to take the same thing to school the next year, and they demand new things for each school year.
Um Khalid continued: "My eldest daughter is at university now, so she has different needs, and she will also receive a grant. My son is studying at secondary school and I bought him a laptop for school this year. I didn't buy the stationery yet, but I prepared a KD 100 budget for him. This will include stationery, shoes, socks, tissues, sanitizers and others.
Some parents spend less, however. "It costs me about KD 50 to buy my three kids only the stationery items without the uniform, shoes and other items demanded by the teachers," said Sami, a father of three children, all at elementary grade level. "This includes colored pencils, pencil cases, school bags, pens, pencils, eraser, decorative stuff, and other things. I'm not sure if the price has risen compared to last year, but I think the difference won't be huge. I also expect to receive lists of requirements
from the teachers during the school semester.
University fees are putting the greatest pressure on many parents' budgets. "In the past it cost me about KD 40-50 for my three kids," said Ismail, a father of four. "This year two are already at university and only one is at intermediate stage in school, so his stuff will cost me about KD 20. I already bought him a laptop last year, and if he demands an iPad I won't be able to buy it for him as it's expensive. The biggest expense is the university fees which come to KD 600.
Some parents can handle budgeting for the standard school costs, but find the extras a drain on their finances, with a number unhappy at the cost of school trips. "I have two kids in the intermediate and secondary grades," said Abu Ahmad, a father of two. "On average I spend about KD 20 [for school kit] on each of them. All year long they make demands. This is fine by me, but I don't like the school trips to entertainment places, for which we pay KD 3 each. I think there's no need for such trips if they're
not educational like visits to the museum or scientific center.
Even when they're not well off, parents are unhappy at seeing their children feeling dejected at having fewer hi-tech gadgets than their classmates. "I didn't buy them computers or iPads for school as I have laptops in the house and a computer they can use," said Abu Ahmad. "Maybe I will buy them iPhones, but they don't need them as those are banned for use in the school anyways. The kids shouldn't feel discriminated against comparing to other kids. I except the increase to be about 15-20 percent for the
stationery items.
KUWAIT: With the new school year set to begin shortly, some parents have already begun back to school shopping for their kids, although a number are waiting until schools reopen in order to obtain a checklist of the necessary items from the schools themselves. Most parents are agreed on one thing, however; the price of school stationery items has increased sharply.
Even those parents who haven't yet begun shopping for their children's school items have noted the increase in prices. "We wait till the school starts when the teachers provide their special demands," Maha, a mother of three, told the Kuwait Times. "Often when we buy stuff the teachers don't accept it so we have to then buy other things. But when I was buying stuff for Eid, I passed by the stationery section and I checked the prices of some items, and noticed they're more expensive than last year.
Not only are the prices of items higher, parents say, but the quality of the goods on offer is significantly lower. "The price is triple what we used to pay a few years ago," said Um Khalid, a mother of two older children. "What's worse is that the quality of the products is very bad. The eraser for instance breaks after the first or second use, and I can't find the good quality brands which were available in the past.
I think it's worth it to invest in quality as it will last for many years as my son's bag. The problem is that the kids don't like to take the same thing to school the next year, and they demand new things for each school year.
Um Khalid continued: "My eldest daughter is at university now, so she has different needs, and she will also receive a grant. My son is studying at secondary school and I bought him a laptop for school this year. I didn't buy the stationery yet, but I prepared a KD 100 budget for him. This will include stationery, shoes, socks, tissues, sanitizers and others.
Some parents spend less, however. "It costs me about KD 50 to buy my three kids only the stationery items without the uniform, shoes and other items demanded by the teachers," said Sami, a father of three children, all at elementary grade level. "This includes colored pencils, pencil cases, school bags, pens, pencils, eraser, decorative stuff, and other things. I'm not sure if the price has risen compared to last year, but I think the difference won't be huge. I also expect to receive lists of requirements
from the teachers during the school semester.
University fees are putting the greatest pressure on many parents' budgets. "In the past it cost me about KD 40-50 for my three kids," said Ismail, a father of four. "This year two are already at university and only one is at intermediate stage in school, so his stuff will cost me about KD 20. I already bought him a laptop last year, and if he demands an iPad I won't be able to buy it for him as it's expensive. The biggest expense is the university fees which come to KD 600.
Some parents can handle budgeting for the standard school costs, but find the extras a drain on their finances, with a number unhappy at the cost of school trips. "I have two kids in the intermediate and secondary grades," said Abu Ahmad, a father of two. "On average I spend about KD 20 [for school kit] on each of them. All year long they make demands. This is fine by me, but I don't like the school trips to entertainment places, for which we pay KD 3 each. I think there's no need for such trips if they're
not educational like visits to the museum or scientific center.
Even when they're not well off, parents are unhappy at seeing their children feeling dejected at having fewer hi-tech gadgets than their classmates. "I didn't buy them computers or iPads for school as I have laptops in the house and a computer they can use," said Abu Ahmad. "Maybe I will buy them iPhones, but they don't need them as those are banned for use in the school anyways. The kids shouldn't feel discriminated against comparing to other kids. I except the increase to be about 15-20 percent for the
stationery items.
© Kuwait Times 2011
