SYDNEY, AAP – Australian parents can expect to pay a collective $20.3 billion this year on all school expenses, according to new data research.
A report from the comparison website Finder found supplies including textbooks, stationery and uniforms will cost parents a total of $2.5 billion.
This breaks down to $570 for a primary school child, and $780 for those in high school.
When everything else is factored in such as school excursions, tuition fees and transport costs, a primary school child is estimated to cost $3621 while a child in high school nearly doubles to $6957.
This equates to a national spend of $20.3 billion.
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Tuition fees remain the highest cost and range from $175 for a public primary school, to $23,269 for a private high school.
The website’s finance analyst and mother Kate Browne said the new year was always an expensive time for parents.
“It’s been a rough few years for Aussie families and for some the cost of textbooks, uniforms and laptops is too much to handle,” Ms Browne said.
“Many struggle to foot the back-to-school bill, hot on the heels of Christmas expenses.”
She recommended buying budget-friendly boxes and water bottles as these items are often misplaced, and durable backpacks and shoes so they don’t wear out.
“Start shopping early and look out for back-to-school sales. This can save you hundreds of dollars over the year, especially on pricey items like laptops.”
Finder sourced data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics as well as major retailers Kmart, Officeworks and Athlete’s Foot to calculate average annual costs for relevant items.
