Especially at the start

On average, a school year costs parents 2,200 euros

Many purchases are also necessary for young pupils, especially for utensils such as exercise books, pens, etc.

(Bild: Christian Schwier - stock.adobe.)

Exercise books, slippers, public transport tickets, school trip week - the expenses during a school year are manifold. Parents pay around 2,200 euros per year for their child's school attendance, according to a new school costs study by the Chamber of Labor. The costs are particularly high at the start of the semester.

The highest costs are incurred in the upper school. This is because expensive IT equipment is often required there. In elementary school, the average cost is 2,254 euros, while the authors of the study put the figure at 2,097 euros for lower and intermediate secondary schools.

Upper secondary school pupils need expensive equipment
The exact level of expenditure varies greatly. Virtually all parents have to spend money on general school supplies and books - especially at the beginning of the school year - with 91% stating this, averaging EUR 304.

Over 70 percent also spend money on subject-specific school materials and clothing (e.g. PE kit), with an average of EUR 218 per school year. A third also invest in IT equipment, which mainly affects parents of sixth form students.

Tutoring also costs money, with 28% needing paid support; the longer the child is at school, the more tutoring costs. Depending on the school level, expenses for excursions also come into play. For example, one-day excursions are often subject to cost contributions, as are school country weeks or ski courses.

Burden is highest at the start of school
According to the study, 60 percent of parents say that the cost of school attendance is a major financial burden. Right now, many are feeling the effects of high inflation, which has also affected school supplies. Expenditure is highest for parents of primary school children at the start of school, and many expenses are incurred for the first time, especially for children in the blackboard class: the first school bag, the first pencil case, the first school utensils.

Incidentally, parents spend the least on school supplies in winter, and slightly more in February at the start of the summer semester.

In any case, the Chamber of Labor sees the inequalities between privileged and less privileged families growing due to the high costs. AK President Renate Anderl is once again calling for a massive expansion of all-day schools and better funding for schools with particularly great challenges, the so-called hotspot schools.

AK calls for measures to combat high school costs
In addition, school events and help with learning problems should be free of charge. For the purchase of exercise books etc., Anderl suggests giving teachers a budget with which they can purchase materials for children.