Back to school spending starts as parents opt for cheaper stationery

School’s not even out for summer yet and parents are already facing huge bills for next year. Here’s how to save on those booklists.

Queensland parents are forking out over $100 on stationery lists alone before the next school year even starts, with an expert saying families are supplementing underfunded public schools.

For Year 1 students the recommended book and stationery list totals $134.85 at Nundah State School, $112.39 at West End State School, $154 at Ashgrove State School, $108.65 at Durack State School, $144.88 at Camira State School and $143.40 at Eaton Hills State School.

Sunshine Coast University education expert David Zyngier said to save money parents should shop around for items on the booklist rather than purchasing through schools or suppliers, and not feel pressured to buy them all at once.

UQ senior lecturer Anna Hogan said stationery lists were just the gateway to broader costs parents paid to educate their children, and came amid an ongoing shift of the cost of education to parents, whether in a private or public school.

“It is this broader issue of how poorly resourced some classrooms are and if parents and teachers didn’t spend their own money, many classrooms would go without,” she said.

“All those schools that don’t have parents that can pay these hundreds of dollars in resourcing their children – you have to look at what their classrooms might be like.”

Elise, 4, and Evie O'Connor, 6, are eager to go back to school. Picture, John Gass

Father of two Rory O’Connor said shopping around could drive down the costs, but ordering via schools was more convenient.

“I don’t expect the taxpayer to supply workbooks and uniforms and teachers are already paying for things out of their own pocket for classroom supplies,” he said.

“I just did ours … I was a bit discretionary, I wasn’t going to buy another recorder, the scissors from this year are still fine, there were a number of things I knew were OK and I knew I didn’t need.”

An Education Department spokesman said state funding for schools does not extend to individual student resources such as textbooks, equipment for personal use and items used by students in classrooms.

“Many schools operate a Student Resource Scheme which provides parents with a convenient and cost-effective alternative to individually sourcing curriculum resources, personal computing devices and other educational programs,” he said.

AVERAGE COST OF SCHOOLING FOR STATE SCHOOL PARENTS

Brisbane: $75,601

National: $68,729

Source: Planning for Education Index developed by Monash University and Futurity Investment Group