THIS month, families in the Balearics are facing bills of up to 1'300 per child for the costs of a new school term, said the regional branch of consumer association Facua yesterday.
The figure includes the purchase of books, writing material, clothes and registration. When the academic year begins in the Balearics on 11th September, parents will have spent an average of 450 euros for those children attending public school and between 900 and 1'300 for pupils of private and state-assisted schools. Alfonso Rodriguez, President of Facua, confirmed that costs per head at private schools are vastly superior. Books and writing material at a public school amount to an average of 220 euros per child with clothes or uniform an extra 225 euros. Uniform is not obligatory in public schools so the core costs are in books and day-to-day clothes. The high expenses at private schools relate to fees, the uniforms and school material which can cost considerably more. Facua recommends buying clothes, books, and school material in different places as prices can vary by as much as 30 percent. It also advises staying away from advertised expensive brands and using exercise books and writing material which are still in good condition from previous years. September can be much costlier than January, the association warned.