Mother of two teenagers, Josée Picard assesses the cost of starting school at more than $ 1,000, in addition to school equipment. Registration for sports profiles crabs most of this budget.
For her “first” back to the parent, Katherine L. said that he had spent nearly $ 450, an amount that includes the supplies requested, but also a host of accessories, stationery and clothes required.
In Quebec, access to education is free. But multiple costs await parents, most of which must be spent during the start of the school year.
Here are ten to put on your list.
Programs, profiles and concentrations
Special educational projects have multiplied in secondary schools in recent years. But these have a cost, since free school free does not apply to concentrations and profiles of all kinds.
The prices vary a lot depending on the option chosen, ranging from a hundred dollars for some profiles to more than $ 3,000 in the case of sport-studies programs.
School or uniform wardrobe
Several public schools adopted the school wardrobe or the half-uniform a few years ago. It is therefore necessary to provide the purchase of polo shirts or clothing in the school colors, manufactured by a specialized supplier. Price: between $ 30 and $ 300
Personalized labels
Primary schools recommend that parents well identify all their child’s equipment. A task that can be accomplished using a permanent marker (the good old Sharpie), but which turns out to be more difficult on certain objects.
With its personalized labels which remain in place even in the dishwasher or in the washer, the Quebec company sticks to me is gaining popularity. Price of a basic set for school: $ 36.50
Various clothing and accessories
A Sarrau for plastic art, a bag of fabric and clothes for physical education, two to three pairs of sneakers per child (one for the interior, one for the outside and, in some cases, a third for the daycare): several textile clothes and accessories are required, in addition to everyday clothes.
Some parents tell us that the school requires a white t-shirt with the name of the child on the back for physical education.
Glasses
Just before the start of the school year, an examination of the view is essential, says advertising. In many cases, the purchase of new glasses is also essential. The Quebec government reimburses $ 300 for the purchase of glasses or contact lenses for young people under the age of 18. However, a request may be made that every 24 months, and in several cases, the invoice is higher than reimbursement.
In the lunch box
A quality lunch box can last for several years. What do we put inside? The trend of the moment is the Bento box (with compartments), which details between $ 15 and $ 65, depending on the model. To this, we add a refrigerant bag (ice pack), reusable utensils and snack bags, not to mention a thermos for hot lunches. The isothermal bottle of water is also required by primary schools.
If you want to be green and encourage local brands, the bill climbs quickly.
Electronic accessories
Most public schools provide access to a tablet or a computer, but your young person may need headphones, a USB charging cable or even a subscription, depending on their study program.
Childcare and surveillance
For many families, the daycare service is a must. Those who must entrust their children to the good care of educators on a regular basis pay a maximum of $ 9.70 per day, which includes the periods of the morning, the south and the end of the day.
Parents who only need the dinner period pay from $ 4 to 5 per day for the daycare service or assume monitoring costs, which vary between $ 100 to 200 per year. The bus service for students who return home for lunch can cost $ 450 to $ 500 annually.
The 20 educational days spread over the year also represent a significant expenditure. The basic price is $ 16.55 per day, to which the costs are added according to the activity chosen, which sometimes exceed $ 30.
Reprography
Reprography costs for printing exercise or equipment sheets for workshops are to be expected. The amount varies from one class to another, but you must generally plan between $ 50 and $ 100.
Outings and trips
The activities taking place outside the school are not subject to free school. Cultural or sporting outings are thus invoiced to parents in several cases, as well as travel, whose costs can exceed a thousand dollars depending on the destination.
