Parents in distress before the start of the school year: 'Just the workbooks for three children cost us 500 euros'

Parents struggle with costs before school year begins: 'Just notebooks for three children cost us 500 euros' Parents are facing mounting financial pressure ahead of the new school year, with some reporting expenses exceeding 500 euros for basic supplies alone. A mother from Osijek described the cost of essential items for her child’s first grade as nearly 500 euros, including a backpack priced at 75 euros, stationery costing around 70 euros, shoes at 20 euros, sports clothes and seasonal clothing totaling 100 euros, and additional furniture such as a desk and chair adding another 200 euros. The cumulative expense highlights how rising prices have made starting the school year increasingly burdensome for families. The increase in educational costs has been consistent over recent years, affecting both parents of young children and those with older students. One example of this trend is art supplies, which have become significantly more expensive. An art map, once priced between 9 and 9.50 euros two years ago, now costs 14 euros, with some retailers charging even higher prices. Additional materials required for art classes include wooden crayons, markers, watercolors, brushes, pastels, plasticine, clay, and other tools. Art kits vary widely in price, ranging from 13 to 36 euros depending on quality and brand. Parents often purchase individual items rather than complete sets, though high-quality watercolors can cost up to 4.50 euros each. As a result, art education, once considered one of the easier subjects, has become one of the most expensive aspects of schooling for many families. A mother of a girl entering first grade in Osijek noted that just the basic necessities already accounted for several hundred euros. She explained that their family had spent approximately 75 euros on a backpack, 70 euros on stationery, 20 euros on shoes, and 100 euros on sports clothes and seasonal wear. They also purchased a desk and chair, which added another 200 euros to the total. “When you add everything up, starting school means a much larger expense than it seems at first glance,” she said. Families with multiple children face even greater challenges, as one parent of two children, attending fourth and seventh grades, estimated that the start of the school year would cost them over 650 euros. This includes expenses such as 40 euros for notebooks, 30 euros for sports uniforms per child, and 100 euros for autumn clothing per child. Additional costs include new sports equipment, a new backpack for her daughter, and replacement items since some previous supplies were damaged and could not be reused. In addition to these direct expenses, school supplies such as wrapping paper for books and notebooks contribute significantly to the overall cost. In some cases, parents can expect to pay around 38 euros per child for these items. However, certain cities offer partial or full reimbursement for notebook purchases. For instance, in Osijek, parents of students in the seventh grade can expect to spend around 200 euros on notebooks, while those in the fourth grade might pay approximately 120 euros. The city has supported the purchase of notebooks and other mandatory learning materials for elementary students for several years, along with art maps, atlases, and technical culture supplies. Similar models exist in other cities, including Zagreb, Rijeka, and Varaždin, which fully cover notebook and other educational material costs for primary school students. Trogir provides similar support, covering notebooks, technical supply boxes, atlases, and art maps for elementary students, as do cities such as Makarska, Imotski, Solin, Kaštela, and Supetar. Klis covers all notebook and art map costs, while Omiš and Vis reimburse parents in full upon presenting receipts. Karlovac also supports notebook and other classroom materials, although parents there still pay for art maps. A parent from Karlovac shared that while they had previously invested in a backpack, stationery, and other essentials for her daughter’s eighth-grade year, they did not anticipate a major increase in costs this year. Instead, they expected to spend more on new sports shoes and seasonal clothing. She also mentioned that expenses related to secondary school are far greater due to the need to purchase textbooks and notebooks, although efforts are being made to reduce costs by buying used books. While some cities provide substantial assistance, others only partially cover the costs. In Split, for example, the city allocates 65 euros per student for additional educational materials, leaving the remainder to be covered by parents. Many municipalities and towns also help with part of the cost for extra school supplies, though the extent of this support varies. Despite these efforts, the rising cost of school supplies continues to place a heavy financial burden on families, particularly those with multiple children.