Back to school supplies prices rise as cost of living crisis hits education

New research shows the average cost of back to school supplies has soared to over four figures. Find out how much the average school haul will cost you.

The school bag carries a hefty price tag this year, as the cost of school supplies has risen to over four figures.

New research by Officeworks estimated the average spend for a Sydney parent on back-to-school essentials at $1141 per child.

The national average sat at $1182, with South Australia and Victoria copping the highest spend at $1332 and $1285, respectively.

YouGov’s Annual Back to School Research Report estimated spending on the same essentials at $944 in 2023, making this the first year on record for school supplies to cross the $1000 threshold.

In terms of the items making up the spend, technology and BYOD (bring your own device) was the biggest sink with a $496 NSW average, then uniforms at $229, sports gear at $138, lunch boxes and bags at $102, then textbooks at $88 and stationery at $87.

Felicia Scundi, with her children Alana and Jean-Marc at their Sydney home. Picture: Justin Lloyd

The average parent is replacing school supplies 2-3 times per year, with 20 per cent of those surveyed buying new supplies every term.

They would also spend 133 minutes on average getting each child back to school-ready.

“It’s clear from our research that cost and time are key concerns for parents at this time of year,” said Officeworks Managing Director Sarah Hunter.

“We want to give families the confidence that they’re getting the right products at the right price and set kids across Australia up to make bigger things happen in the school year ahead.”

Alana Scundi, 11. School supply prices have risen sharply during the cost-of-living crisis. Picture: Justin Lloyd

More than half of those surveyed were concerned about the cost of supplies, especially with rising prices during the cost-of-living crisis.

“Because of Christmas and the holidays, we need to kind of be prepared before we go away,” she said.

“So we’ll make sure that we have enough budgeted for the school shoes, or when the kids grow out of the uniforms and we have to add new uniforms.”

Rodd Point mother of two Felicia Scundi has been preparing for the back to school season for months.

Ms Scundi has two children: Jean-Marc, 14, and Alana, 11, and works as a marketing manager at a digital advertising and consultancy firm.

“You just have to be savvy as well. Sometimes I have to make concessions, you think ‘do I really need to replace all the stationery items and school shoes?’ … if they’re still in good working condition then I won’t replace anything until it’s necessary,” Ms Scundi said.

“We just have to have money saved up and know that that’s where it’s going to be spent and in a very smart way.”

With computers being such a heavy investment, 80 per cent of parents were concerned about the cost of technology. Another two thirds worried about deciding on a quality computer.

A second Finder survey estimated tuition for primary school pupils at $7922 on average for private schools, $1773 for Catholic schools, and $353 for public schools.

Officeworks spruiked their School List Service, BYOD purchasing assistant and Price Beat Guarantees as ways for parents to cut costs.